The largest pensions plans in the US continue to anticipate average long term returns of 9.3% from their investment assets despite the prolonged fall in equity prices.

According to a survey of the 100 largest schemes reporting in 2001 by US investment journal Pensions & Investments, the mid point of long term expectations is marginally higher at 9.5%. The scheme run by private equity house Weyerhaeuser is the most optimistic, with an 11% prognosis, followed by delivery company FedEx (10.9%) and healthcare firm Eli Lilly (10.5%).