The Alaska Permanent Fund has generated successful returns for fiscal year 2021, according to Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation CEO Angela Rodell.

Rodell gave a presentation on the state of the fund to around 20 people at the joint Kenai and Soldotna Chamber luncheon on Wednesday.

“I have never seen returns like this ever,” Rodell said, referencing her 25-year career. “I don’t think I will ever see anything like that in my lifetime again.”

In total, the fund achieved a 29.7% return this fiscal year, Rodell said.

She broke down the different investments that contribute to the overall wealth of the fund on Wednesday, stating that the majority of the cash flow is invested into stocks at around 38% and another 20% is allocated toward bonds.

The statutory net income, which is an amount that recognizes the trends of unrealized gains, stands at $7.9 billion — a record high, she said.

There is $21 billion in the earnings reserve account now, Rodell said, with just under $10 million available for appropriation.

Rodell emphasized the importance of protecting the fund, which is used to distribute annual dividend checks to Alaskans.

The first deposit was $734,000 in 1977. Today, the fund is valued at around $81 billion, she said.

“And so I think the question for us as Alaskans is really determining what we want for the fund, how we want to protect it, what we want to spend it on, what’s important to us as a community, and how we continue to invest in our state,” Rodell said.

More information on the performance of the fund can be found at apfc.org/our-performance/.

Reach reporter Camille Botello at camille.botello@peninsulaclarion.com.