Super funds have been able to earn “enormously good returns” from strong economic tailwinds and a calm geopolitical backdrop, but that period of stability is now at an end, and they’ll have to adapt to a more uncertain world.
The boondoggle about superannuation marketing spend is mostly theatre, and does nothing to answer the question of what is really in members’ best financial interests.
Value stocks are hit harder in market drawdowns but come out of them faster and harder, according to research from Pzena Investment Management.
Single default balanced options still rule superannuation even as it becomes increasingly clear that every member needs an investment strategy that more closely matches their age and risk profile.
APRA’s new superannuation expenses data – and the granular information it contains about donut and coffee purchases – begs the question: how much transparency is enough?
Beyond the stocks everybody thinks will be the winners, there’s a better (and cheaper) way to get exposure to some of the biggest themes driving markets, according to Ninety One.
Global equities, machine learning mandates and trend following in cocoa markets helped NZ Super to generate 14.9 per cent for the year, but the fund just undershot its own benchmark even as it remains ahead of return expectations.
The International Monetary Fund says that super funds’ chunky allocations to illiquid assets could be a danger to markets during stress events, but there’s little evidence to support their fears of systemic risk.
Having handed its custody to State Street, Australian Ethical has selected the Charles River Investment Management Solution to automate its front and middle office processes for its entire investment portfolio.
Institutional investors have gotten more sophisticated, and so have the asset consultants they look to for advice. But as those consultants push deeper into the lucrative wealth and family office segments, can they keep product conflicts from getting in the way?