Industry super funds Cbus and Connect Super have announced their intention to merge.
The two funds have announced an in-principle agreement to pursue a target merger date of 1 October, this year.
The move was confirmed in a joint statement issued by Cbus chairman Steve Bracks and Connect chairman Mac Russell.
The combined entity would result in a fund boasting nearly 600,000 members and nearly $15 billion in funds under management.
Jim Chalmers has defended changes to the Future Fund’s mandate, referring to himself as a “big supporter” of the sovereign wealth fund, amid fierce opposition from the Coalition, which has pledged to reverse any changes if it wins next year’s election.
In a new review of the country’s largest fund, a research house says it’s well placed to deliver attractive returns despite challenges.
Chant West analysis suggests super could be well placed to deliver a double-digit result by the end of the calendar year.
Specific valuation decisions made by the $88 billion fund at the beginning of the pandemic were “not adequate for the deteriorating market conditions”, according to the prudential regulator.