Norway’s oil fund, the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund, swung to its biggest ever loss in the first half of 2022 as recession fears and inflation pummeled global markets.
Returns on the $1.2tn fund dropped 14.4 per cent, or $174bn, in the first half, driven by a sell-off across all sectors except energy, the fund said on Wednesday. It had gained 14.5 per cent during 2021 as markets soared following the reopening of economies around the world.
Its equity portfolio was particularly hit hard in the first half, losing 17 per cent, while fixed income was down 9.3 per cent. The fund’s investments in unlisted real estate delivered a 7.1 per cent gain but they make up only 3 per cent of the fund’s overall portfolio. Its renewable energy infrastructure investments fell 13.3 per cent.