LASERS Investment Performance 18.8%

LASERS ended the June 30, 2014 fiscal year with an investment return of 18.8 percent. This stellar performance brings the total asset value of the System to $11 billion, the highest in the history of LASERS.

This fiscal year return places the System in the top ten among 90 other public retirement funds greater than $1 billion, according to Wilshire's Trust Universe Comparison Service (TUCS). TUCS is the most widely accepted benchmark for the performance of institutional assets and represents the largest database of any peer-comparison service in the industry.

"For the second year in a row, we have had double digit market returns," said LASERS Chief Investment Officer Bobby Beale, "and we attribute this to a well-diversified asset allocation across asset classes and geographies. Specifically this year, strong performance in the domestic and international equity markets had a definite impact on returns."

"Wilshire Associates, Inc. reported that, for the one-year period, public pensions with assets greater than $1 billion experienced a median return of 17.4 percent, so it is particularly exciting to share news of our 18.8 percent return with our members and the state as a whole," said LASERS Executive Director Cindy Rougeou. "We set the bar high because LASERS is working for Louisiana."

LASERS provides a defined benefit pension plan that covers approximately 150,000 members. LASERS pays over $1 billion in annual benefits to retirees and their beneficiaries, providing a strong and reliable economic stimulus for Louisiana.