HESTA has dropped Origin Energy from a watchlist of carbon-intensive portfolio companies after the energy company announced plans to exit the controversial Beetaloo Basin gas project in Northern Territory and existing upstream exploration permits.
Equip Super hires two senior portfolio managers to strengthen its defensive assets, alternatives and real assets team at a time when public markets have been hit by inflation and fears of steep interest rate hikes.
Despite reporting improved outcomes for members, the release of APRA’s second Your Future, Your Super performance test results masked the unintended consequences of the test in its current form, experts say.
Australian super funds are heading into the corporate annual general meeting season with ESG as the dominant theme as well as focusing on executive pay, retention incentives and the economy.
New research by The Conexus Institute estimates the Your Future, Your Super performance test creates a sizable degree of investment strategy constraint that comes at a significant opportunity cost to consumers. So why is a significantly improved solution unlikely?
Australia’s superannuation system ranked 6th for the second year running in the Mercer CFA Institute Global Pension Index – the highest among Asia Pacific countries – underscoring the strength and sustainability of the country’s $3.4 trillion retirement savings pool.
Industry experts discuss whether the Your Future Your Super performance test should exist, its impact on fund behaviour and how it will fit with the government’s longer-term desires of nation building and social housing as the government reviews implementation issues arising from the test.
The Fund Executives Association has appointed a new chief executive officer at a time of much change within the $3.4 trillion superannuation industry.
When asset classes fall in sync, as bonds and equities did in 2008 and 2020, investors seek new uncorrelated assets to truly diversify their portfolios, say fund managers.
Kim Bowater, director of consulting at Frontier Advisors, and Ian Fryer, general manager at Chant West, talk to Julia Newbould, managing editor, Conexus Financial about the performance test outcomes. Second year results were recently released which provided few surprises – five products failed to meet the benchmark this year, including four that failed for the second time. A further five products that failed last time passed this year and while APRA has said this shows funds are doing better than last year, it’s not the full story. Treasury is now asking for submissions on the Your Future Your Super performance test. So now is a good time for our experts to look at its effectiveness and the way forward.
The Australian Sustainable Finance Institute is developing a sustainable finance taxonomy. Central to its mission is to realign the financial services sector to create a more sustainable and resilient financial system.
While cryptocurrencies and other digital assets are a fast-growing segment in financial markets, there is still a lot of scepticism and mistrust among asset owners around its viability as an investment proposition.
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Investment Magazine provides in-depth, monthly analysis of trends and developments for all the businesses in which superannuation funds engage‚ including asset allocation, investment manager selection, custody and fund accounting, member administration, group insurance and compliance.
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of this land upon which Conexus Financial sits, the Cadigal of the Eora Nation. We recognise their continuing connection and unique cultural and spiritual relationships to the land, waters and community. We pay our deepest respects to them and their culture, and to Elders both past and present.
