Investor interest in the listed infrastructure remains strong despite experienced equity-like volatility in 2008, exacerbated by high levels of gearing, according to a Standard & Poor's sector review.
S&P Fund Services analyst Simone Arblaster said institutional pension plans in particular have "long been attracted to the long-duration inflation-linked and relatively stable investment characteristic of this sector".
Arblaster said an "interesting observation" from the review was just how critical the choice of benchmark is in the listed infrastructure sector.
"Unlike most other asset classes, the market is still coming to terms with how listed infrastructure managers should be measured and benchmarked."
The review, including five international managers and one domestic manager, assigned two new ratings and noted three withdrawals.
Goldman Sachs JBWere Australian Infrastructure Wholesale fund was the biggest mover in the review, up from three stars to four stars, while UBS Global Infrastructure Securities Fund was closed.
Less than a month after being ordered to pay $27 million for failing to merge duplicate member accounts, Australia’s biggest super fund is again the target of a suit launched by the corporate regulator.
APRA’s latest statistics have revealed retail funds have a larger exposure to private debt than their industry counterparts.
APRA’s proposed governance reforms are stirring debate in the industry, particularly due to the ambiguity surrounding the suggestion that “perceived conflicts of interest” and “changes in personal circumstances” could create reputational risks.
CFS’ Kelly Power has described the US as an “open door” for attractive investment opportunities amid super funds’ growing interest in the offshore market.