Alaska Permanent Fund tops $40 billion, but PFD yield is down

The Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation (APFC) announced the release of its year-end financial report on Tuesday. The unaudited figures show the Permanent Fund ended the year at $40.1 billion and saw a 20.6-percent return over FY2011, marking the first time in history the fund has closed a year over $40 billion, and the first time since 1986 that the rate of return has topped 20 percent. The strong performance in 2011, however, will likely take a few years to boost dividend checks. The amount to be distributed among Alaskans this year is $58 million less than last year. Final, audited performance and value information for the fund will be released at the APFC's annual meeting Sept. 29 and 30 in Juneau. Read much more from the press release, including comments from APFC's chief executive Michael Burns, here.