The Plan is committed to adding “at least $10 billion” in new domestic investments over the next five years, says CEO
The Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS) earned a net investment return of 4.8 per cent in the first six months of 2026, a gain of $6.9 billion that brought net assets to $151.6 billion as of June 30, according to its press release issued Tuesday.
Public equities drove performance
All asset classes contributed positively to the result. Public equities led the way with a 12.2 per cent return, buoyed by record-setting global equity markets and strong corporate earnings in the information technology and industrial sectors.
Meanwhile, private credit returned 7.8 per cent, real estate delivered 5.5 per cent, and infrastructure came in at 5.1 per cent. Private equities posted the most modest gain at 1.1 per cent, held back by multiple compression amid broader market headwinds. Currency appreciation, particularly in the U.S. dollar, added a net 1.4 per cent to total returns.
"OMERS had a pleasing start to 2026," Blake Hutcheson, OMERS’ president and CEO, said. "While an increasingly complex global dynamic created challenges for investors worldwide, we generated almost $7 billion in returns, a reflection of our team's disciplined approach and our diversified portfolio."
Over the past decade, the pension plan has added more than $78 billion to the fund, representing an annualized 10-year return of 7.2 per cent.
Commitment to Canadian investment
“These results come as OMERS continues to seek opportunities to put more capital to work in Canada, building on existing investments across key infrastructure, hotels, shopping destinations, premium office real estate, technology, bonds and other sectors,” said the Plan in a statement, noting it had deployed an additional $1 billion into Canadian equities during the first half of the year.
"OMERS is committed to adding at least $10 billion in new investments in Canada to its portfolio over the next five years," Hutcheson said. "The current environment in Canada has considerable potential and we look forward to exploring those opportunities that align to our strategy."
The pension fund's geographic allocation held steady, with 25 per cent of assets in Canada, 52 per cent in the United States (up from 50 per cent at year-end 2025), 15 per cent in Europe, and eight per cent in Asia-Pacific and the rest of the world.
Focusing on high-quality assets with long-term growth
Hutcheson said the fund would continue to prioritize high-quality assets with long-term growth potential as it navigates the second half of the year.
"We are actively managing our existing portfolio and assessing opportunities to deploy capital in ways that meet our risk-adjusted returns," he said. "We believe our long-term focus on high-quality assets with long-term growth prospects will serve the futures of 665,000 members well, and we are relentlessly focused on delivering for them."
OMERS is a jointly sponsored, defined benefit pension plan with more than 1,000 participating employers and 665,000 active, deferred, and retired members across Ontario.
