The Wellcome Trust, the world’s second-biggest medical charity, said its investments returned 18 percent in the year ended Sept. 30, aided by more exposure to stocks and private equity since 2008.
Investments in those areas and in venture capital, hedge funds and residential property all recorded gains of 15 percent to 20 percent, Chairman William Castell said in the trust’s annual report published today. The five biggest stock investments in the 16.4 billion-pound ($26.8 billion) endowment were Marks & Spencer Group Plc, Vodafone Group Plc, HSBC Holdings Plc, Toyota Motor Corp. and Apple Inc.
