State pension fund reports 18 percent return for fiscal year 2011

State Treasurer Janet Cowell's office reported today that North Carolina's pension fund delivered an 18 percent return for the fiscal year that ended June 30.

Total assets in the fund were valued at $74.9 billion, up from $74.3 billion in the previous quarter.

The fund's stock portfolio increased 31 percent for the fiscal year.

The fund's performance was mostly flat in the second quarter.

Stocks were up less than 1 percent and the fund's fixed-income bond portfolio was up 2.5 percent.

The fund's real estate portfolio has bounced back, generating an 18 percent return for the fiscal year and 4.3 percent in the second quarter.

“The strong returns for this fiscal year are a testament to the strides we have made in minimizing risk while maximizing returns,” Cowell said in a release. “We continue to work to identify opportunities for allocating investments in a way that positions us well over the long term.”