TORONTO, Feb 9 (Reuters) - The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), Canada's biggest public pension plan, said on Friday it achieved a return of 4 percent on its investments in the latest quarter, helped by strong equity markets.
CPPIB, which manages Canada's national pension fund and invests on behalf of 20 million Canadians, said it ended its third quarter to Dec. 31 with net assets of C$337 billion ($267 billion), compared with C$328 billion at the end of the previous quarter.
"Exceptional performance across public equity markets internationally during the third quarter helped bring the CPP Fund to a new high," CPPIB Chief Executive Officer Mark Machin said in a statement.
The fund has diversified internationally, becoming one of the world's biggest investors in infrastructure and real estate as well as being a major global investor in equities and bonds.
Over the last 10 years, the CPPIB has seen returns of 7.4 percent, it said.
Canadian pension plans, on average, achieved returns of 4.4 percent in the latest quarter, according to research published by RBC Investor & Treasury Services on Tuesday. ($1 = 1.2604 Canadian dollars)