Norway wealth fund earned a record $180 bln in 2019

Norway's sovereign wealth fund, the world's largest, made a 19.9% return on investment last year, earning a record 1.69 trillion Norwegian crowns ($180.49 billion), it said on Thursday.

The $1.1 trillion fund's return for the year was stronger than that of its benchmark index, it added. "2019 has been a very good year for the fund ... this is the greatest increase in value in a single year in the fund's history," said central bank Governor Oeystein Olsen.

Last year's return on investment amounted to almost $34,000 for each of the 5.3 million people living in Norway, and the overall value of the fund is now equivalent to about $207,000 for every man, woman and child. The fund holds stakes in more than 9,000 companies globally, owning 1.5% of all listed stocks. It also invests in bonds and real estate.

Apple Inc and Microsoft Corp contributed the most to the fund's return in 2019, followed by Nestle SA . ($1 = 9.3633 Norwegian crowns)