Investing

Stanford’s $40.9 Billion Fund Tops Elite Rivals With 4.4% Return

Stanford’s returns, like those of similar schools, have significantly trailed the gains in the S&P 500, which rose 18% in the year through June. 

Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
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Stanford University’s $40.9 billion investment fund returned 4.4% during the 12 months ending June 30, topping results at other elite colleges despite headwinds from venture capital and private equity.

The performance of the fund, which includes Stanford’s endowment of more than $36 billion, outpaced returns of less than 2% at Yale University and the University of Pennsylvania during the period. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology posted a loss due in part to declining values in venture-capital investments, a trend that also weighed on Stanford.