COLUMBUS, Ohio - A report from Evaluation Associates conducted for the Ohio Retirement Study Council (ORSC) highlights the strong performance of the Ohio Police & Fire Pension Fund�s (OP&F) investment portfolio. The report, which will be presented to the ORSC on June 30, is a semi-annual study of investment performance at Ohio�s five public retirement systems examining periods ending Dec. 31, 2010.

The report indicates that OP&F was the top performer among Ohio retirement systems for the six-month, one-year, three-year, five-year and ten-year periods. Also, in all but the six-month period, OP&F outperformed its benchmark return by a wider margin than did all the other Ohio pension funds.

�This report shows that our long-term investment assumptions and strategies are working as intended,� said William J. Estabrook, OP&F Executive Director. �The policies in place and the wide diversification of our portfolio are designed to build a secure future for Ohio�s public safety officers.�

The Evaluation Associates report also indicates:

On a relative basis, OP&F placed in the top 17 percent of its peer group universe over the 10-year period ending Dec. 31, 2010.
For the six-month period ending Dec. 31, 2010, OP&F was the best absolute performer, with a return of 18.66 percent over the previous two quarters and outpaced its benchmark by 211 basis points.
OP&F�s one-year total fund investment return for 2010 was 15.83 percent.
As of May 31, the OP&F investment portfolio was valued at $12.43 billion.

Paul Morgan, of Evaluation Associates, in presenting the report to ORSC said, �I would be remiss by not complimenting Ohio Police and Fire on an asset class by asset class basis and on a total fund basis. I think Police and Fire is the best managed investment program of all the systems.�

Evaluation Associates is an independent investment advisor and provides semi-annual reports to the ORSC on the investment performance of each of Ohio�s public retirement systems.

The full version of the report to the ORSC is available here: http://www.orsc.org/uploadpdf/Investment_Perform_12_31_10.pdf