EBS fund managers were the top-performing managers on a return basis for the five-year period ended March 1999, according to Coyle Hamilton's newly released annual investment manager survey. EBS had an annualised return of 21.3 per cent over five years, closely followed by Eagle Star at 21.1 per cent and Friends First which delivered a 20.6 per cent return. Over the same period, the average annualised fund return was 19.1 per cent and inflation for the period was 2 per cent per annum compound.