Superannuation funds could boost their returns by investing in European property, according to LGIAsuper.
LGIAsuper said it held an 11% share in real estate manager Europa Capital’s Parisian Semaphore investment. The office building was sold year ahead of business plans for $230 million and was forecast to generate an internal rate of return of 33%, with 50% extra capital created from the original 2017 investment.
The fund also had an 11% share in the real estate manager’s Copenhagen residential building which sold for $102 million, which would generate a return of 48% when completed in 2023.
LGIAsuper chief executive, Kate Farrar, said both properties were great examples of our partners’ value-add approach to asset investment.
“As a boutique super fund our point of difference is that we are able to pursue profitable mid-market investments because we can react quickly to opportunities in ways that big funds may not,” Farrar said.
“It’s why we appeal to members who want confidence that their fund’s investment strategy is going to protect them from market fluctuations and take advantage of all available opportunities.”
In its pre-election policy document, the FSC highlighted 15 priority reforms, with superannuation featuring prominently, urging both major parties to avoid changing super taxes without a comprehensive tax review.
The Grattan Institute has labelled the Australian super system as “too complicated” and has proposed a three-pronged reform strategy to simplify superannuation in retirement.
Super funds delivered a strong 2024 result, with the median growth fund returning 11.4 per cent, driven by strong international sharemarket performance, new data has shown.
Australian Ethical has seen FUM growth of 27 per cent in the financial year to date.