University of Helsinki Reports +13.5% Return on Investment in 2023

In 2023, the University of Helsinki saw a +13.5 percent return on its securities portfolio. The return was primarily boosted by responsible equity index funds that invest globally. At the end of the year, the portfolio was valued at € 672 million.

“The past year treated the economies of different countries unequally. However, we reaped the benefits of global economic growth thanks to our indirect holdings in thousands of companies all over the world. Moreover, the carbon and cost footprint of our investments was extremely moderate,” says Chief Investment Officer Anders Ekholm of the University of Helsinki.

The average annual return on the securities portfolio of the University of Helsinki has been +11.6  percent since the beginning of 2019, when the University adopted its current investment strategy. Based on academic research, the strategy hinges on diversification, low costs, and the mitigation of climate change.

The average total expense ratio for investments is below 0.1 percent, and fossil fuel producers have been excluded as investment targets.