TORONTO — The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board earned a net return of 1.3 per cent in its latest fiscal year as inflation and rising interest rates weighed on both stock and fixed-income markets.

The board says the investment gains combined with net transfers from the Canada Pension Plan brought its net assets to $570 billion at March 31, up from $539 billion a year earlier.

CPP Investments says the increase included $8 billion in net income and $23 billion in net transfers from the Canada Pension Plan.

It says the gain for its latest fiscal year reflected returns on investments in infrastructure and certain U.S. dollar-denominated private equity and credit assets, which benefited from foreign exchange, while external investment managers using quantitative, equity, and fixed-income trading strategies also contributed positively to results.

CPP Investments says its performance was partially offset by declines in both equities and fixed income across major markets as high inflation and rising interest rates weighed heavily on both asset classes.

A weaker loonie against the U.S. dollar and other major currencies helped boost investment returns.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 24, 2023.

The Canadian Press