On the back of a flat March quarter, superannuation funds have had a strong April with the median growth fund up 1.7 per cent, according to Chant West’s latest data.
This brought the returns for the first ten months of this financial year to a healthy 7.4 per cent, putting them on track for a ninth straight positive year.
Decent performances from the share markets, which were the main drivers of growth fund performance, helped achieve this result.
Australian shares were up 3.8 per cent for April, while their international equivalents were up 1.9 per cent in hedged terms. In unhedged terms, the slight depreciation of the Australian dollar pushed this figure up slightly to 2.8 per cent.
Governor Bullock took a more hawkish stance on Tuesday, raising concerns over Trump’s escalating tariffs, which sent economists in different directions with their predictions.
Equity Trustees has announced the appointment of Jocelyn Furlan to the Superannuation Limited (ETSL) and HTFS Nominees Pty Ltd (HTFS) boards, which have oversight of one of the companies’ fastest growing trustee services.
Following growing criticism of the superannuation industry’s influence on capital markets and its increasing exposure to private assets, as well as regulators’ concerns about potential risks to financial stability, ASFA has released new research pushing back on these narratives.
A US-based infrastructure specialist has welcomed the $93 billion fund as a cornerstone investor.