Denmark’s Sampension delivered the strongest pension returns among its peers in April, with a year-to-date gain of 5 per cent for a typical customer, according to new figures from research firm Nikolaj Holdt Mikkelsen.

The performance places Sampension and its associated pension funds at the top of the latest return rankings, ahead of comparable providers in the Danish market.

Within the group, ISP Pension recorded a 5.3 per cent year-to-date return, while the Architects & Designers Pension Fund delivered 5 per cent, and the Pension Fund for Agricultural Academics & Veterinarians returned 4.9 per cent.

The improvement reflects a broader rebound in pension savings after a weak March, when average returns were dragged into negative territory.

Sampension chief investment officer, Henrik Olejasz Larsen, said the April turnaround underscored the importance of a long-term investment horizon, noting that while markets can be volatile in the short term, they have historically recovered quickly from downturns.

“Market downturns are inevitable. But they tend to recover quickly. We saw that a year ago in the wake of Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’, and we have now seen further evidence of this this spring,” he stated.

He said it is impossible to forecast how markets — and therefore pension returns — will develop going forward, noting that outcomes will depend in part on geopolitical developments, including the situation in the Middle East.

However, he added that further market declines are inevitable at some point and will weigh on returns, stressing that pension customers should remain calm and avoid reacting emotionally to short-term volatility.

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