National pension fund posts decent return through August on stock rally
A Korean dealer works in front of monitors at Hana Bank in Seoul, Oct. 24. Korea's state pension fund said Monday that it has logged a decent investment return in the first eight months of the year. EPA-Yonhap
Korea's state pension fund said Monday that it has logged a decent investment return in the first eight months of the year, driven by solid profits from investments in stocks amid a rally.
The National Pension Service (NPS) posted an 8.22 percent return through August, higher than the three-year annual average return of 6.98 percent.
In 2014, the pension fund racked up a 15.32 percent return on its investments in 2024, the highest mark since 2000.
The NPS attributed the robust performance to a rally in the local stock market.
The fund enjoyed a 36.4 percent return from investments in local stocks, and an 8.6 percent gain from overseas stocks.
But its investments in bonds and alternative assets remained weak, according to the NPS.
As of end-June, it held 1,269.1 trillion won ($888 billion) in assets, around 50 percent of which have been invested in stocks.