Investments

NYSTRS invests the System's funds in several diverse classes of assets, including equities, bonds and real estate. This diversification helps us earn the highest possible long-term rate of return within appropriate risk levels. In turn, this enables us to pay guaranteed benefits to members and their beneficiaries at the lowest possible cost to participating employers and the taxpayers that fund them.

The System's long-term investment objective is to achieve an annualized rate of return of 8.0%. NYSTRS has achieved returns well above the 8.0% assumed rate of return in four of the past six years. The System's 25-year annualized rate of return stood at 9.0% — or 100 basis points above the actuarially assumed rate.

For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2011, the total portfolio returned 23.2%, the largest rate of return posted in 25 years by NYSTRS. The figure was nearly double the previous year's return of 12.1%.

The two consecutive years of double-digit returns helped the System regain much of the loss sustained during the devastating 2008-09 economic crisis. 

The System's most-recent list of investments is below. We update this list approximately two weeks after the end of each quarter.

Other Resources

• Annual Report
• Investment Policy Manual
• Ban on Placement Agent Contacts
• MWBE Guidelines