OMERS Reports Gains

The Ontario public-sector pension manager known as OMERS says it booked a $4.3-billion net gain on its investments for2009.

That represents a 10.6 per cent rate of return on its assets,pulling it back into positive returns after a dismal performance a year earlier.

In 2008, the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System posted a net loss of $8 billion, or a 15.3 per cent negative rate of return.

OMERS says the average rate of return for the past five years now stands at 6.6 per cent. That's above the five-year average benchmark return of 5.8 percent.

OMERS is responsible for pensions for 400,000 current and former employees of local governments in Ontario.