Diversified growth strategy can boost super returns

3 September 2015
| By Jassmyn |
image
image image
expand image

Annual super fund returns could be increased significantly by shifting a proportion of its Australian equities allocations to a diversified growth strategy, according to Investec Asset Management.

Investec's white paper, ‘Diversified growth strategies and their role in Australian superannuation funds', found by including 15 per cent allocation to a diversified growth strategy in a typical super portfolio, funds could increase their realised returns, lower their overall volatility, and therefore improve their risk-adjusted returns.

The paper noted the strongest increase in returns came from substituting within the portfolio's Australian equities allocation rather than international equities.

Investec's co-head of multi asset and portfolio manager for its diversified growth fund (Australia), Michael Spinks, said super funds cannot rely on domestic assets alone to meet their performance objectives.

"The bread of opportunity set, investment flexibility, and active approach to currency management of diversified growth strategies presents a particularly appealing option that funds should be considering as part of their allocations," he said.

Spinks said investors could achieve better returns by taking a more global approach.

"Over the time period 1900-2014, although Australian equities exceeded their typical performance objective… it was achieved with a high volatility, indicating a significant variability of return," he said.

"Australian bonds and cash, on the other hand, significantly underperformed the objective, demonstrating they have not been effective in generating the required return.

"Given the majority of diversified growth strategies are available to investors on a daily dealing basis, their potential as a liquid alternative solution also stands out."

Read more about:

AUTHOR

Recommended for you

sub-bgsidebar subscription

Never miss the latest developments in Super Review! Anytime, Anywhere!

Grant Banner

From my perspective, 40- 50% of people are likely going to be deeply unhappy about how long they actually live. ...

1 year 6 months ago
Kevin Gorman

Super director remuneration ...

1 year 7 months ago
Anthony Asher

No doubt true, but most of it is still because over 45’s have been upgrading their houses with 30 year mortgages. Money ...

1 year 7 months ago

The rollout of further tariffs in the US from August is expected to decrease economic growth in the US in the longer term, AMP and asset managers warn....

7 hours ago

Superannuation funds have posted another year of strong returns, but this time, the gains weren’t powered solely by Silicon Valley....

7 hours 22 minutes ago

Australia’s $4.1 trillion superannuation system is doing more than funding retirements – it’s quietly fuelling the nation’s productivity, lifting GDP, and adding thousand...

7 hours 42 minutes ago

TOP PERFORMING FUNDS

ACS FIXED INT - AUSTRALIA/GLOBAL BOND
Fund name
3y(%)pa
2
DomaCom DFS Mortgage
95.46 3 y p.a(%)
5