Large cap managers in Canada posted their strongest benchmark-relative performance in 12 years in 2013, according to the latest Russell Investments Active Manager Report.

The median return for the year was an astounding 19.1%, more than 6% ahead of the S&P/TSX Composite Index’s return of 13.0%.

Using annual returns, 94% of large cap managers beat the benchmark in 2013 compared to 76% in 2012. This was the highest percentage since Russell began to closely track the data in 2000.

“The strong environment for large cap managers in Canada was not a surprise last year,” highlights Kathleen Wylie, Head, Canadian Equity Research at Russell Investments, “because active managers beat the benchmark in every quarter. In fact, they have outperformed the benchmark for five consecutive quarters, which we have not experienced since 2001.”

The year ended on a positive note, with 86% of large cap managers beating the benchmark in the fourth quarter of 2013. That followed 74% in the third quarter, 95% in the second and 79% in the first quarter. The median large cap return was 8.4% in the fourth quarter of 2013, which was well above the S&P/TSX Composite Index’s return of 7.3%.

What benefited managers for the year overall was positive sector breadth, with eight out of 10 sectors beating the benchmark; the most breadth since 2001. “Investment managers were also helped by the decline in gold stocks in the year,” highlights Wylie. Gold stocks fell 44% in 2013 and large cap managers in Canada were roughly 3.5% underweight gold stocks on average throughout the year.

More than halfway into the first quarter of 2014, it looks like the environment has become challenging for large cap managers in Canada. Sector breadth is narrower with only four sectors ahead of the benchmark and the materials sector is among the top outperformers. Large cap managers on average are 3% underweight materials stocks so that is hurting their benchmark-relative performance. Within materials, gold stocks are up roughly 26%, which is hurting large cap managers, who are 3% underweight on average. Dividend managers are likely lagging the most since they have the largest underweight to gold stocks, which are outperforming and are overweight financials, which are underperforming.

The Russell Canadian Active Manager Report is produced quarterly and is based on recently released data from more than 140 Canadian institutional equity manager products.