The strong returns came despite a drop in endowment gifts to $368 million compared with $561 million in the previous year. But Harvard said current use gifts rose by 9% to $528 million. A number of prominent donors, including hedge fund manager Kenneth Griffin, halted their giving amid the crisis.

The Ivy League school’s portfolio of private equity, hedge funds, real estate, and other investments gained 9.6 percent in the fiscal year that ended June 30,

The value of Harvard’s endowment grew to $53.2 billion after the Harvard Management Company boasted a 9.6 percent return on its investments in fiscal year 2024 — the first year the endowment has increased in value since 2021.

Harvard University ’s endowment posted a return of 9.6% for its fiscal year ended June 30, and the value of the portfolio increased to $53.2 billion from $50.7 billion the year before. The latest positive investment return followed a 2.9% gain for the prior fiscal year and a 1.8% loss for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022.

Harvard’s industry-leading endowment surpassed $53 billion last fiscal year thanks to investment gains of 9.6%, beating many of its peers who have reported numbers so far this fall.