Arizona PSPRS generates $580m in returns for FY19

Arizona’s Public Safety Personnel Retirement System (PSPRS) has generated $580 million in returns, a 5.5 percent net fee return for FY19, according to the pension fund.

The trust serves Arizona’s firefighters, police officers, corrections officers, elected officials and judges and now has more than $10.5 billion in assets.

PSPRS said public and private equities in the portfolio produced substantial returns, while prerecession legacy real estate investments and global trading strategies impacted overall returns negatively for the one-year time frame ending June 30.

“Our investment strategy is doing exactly what it is designed to do — balance risk to protect our employers, while generating returns to bring PSPRS-managed funds back to financial health,” said Will Buividas, chairman of PSPRS’ board of trustees. “We’re pleased that our alternative assets performed well and that investment returns over longer and more important time frames are beating