AustralianSuper commits $35b UK investment by 2030
AustralianSuper is set to increase its investment portfolio in the UK to more than £18 billion ($35 billion) by the end of the decade.
UniSuper, ISPT acquire Western Sydney logistics site
UniSuper has invested in a 280-hectare greenfield logistics development site near the new Western Sydney International Airport (WSA).
The problem with ‘universal owner theory’ for climate-conscious funds
Asset owner portfolios are very heavily weighted towards public equity markets, and typically large companies in developed economies, whereas much of the negative impacts of climate change are generated by private and state-owned companies. This presents a potential flaw in the universal owner theory.
‘Fight tooth and nail’: Coalition appoints super warrior as shadow minister
Opposition leader Peter Dutton has belatedly named a Shadow Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation after an almost 12-month vacancy in the portfolio. Luke Howarth, a judo black belt and SMSF advocate, has long sung from the Liberal hymn sheet of a flexible super system and is expected to play an aggressive form of politics in his contested new portfolio ahead of the election.
Aware recruits ex-AusSuper exec to beef up member experience
Aware Super has urged its peers against getting stuck in the “old world of super” by being non-committal about digitising member experience, as the $150 billion fund recruits former AustralianSuper executive Chris Cramond to turbocharge its platform transformation. It comes as big industry funds attempt to ward off criticism that member experience has been a low priority.
Musk is from Mars, independent directors are from Venus
The power that a “superstar CEO” wields over company board members gives rise to a range of corporate governance issues that asset owners need to recognise to protect themselves from a potential misalignment of interests between directors and shareholders.
Super fund real estate heads defend ‘robust’ valuation processes
As APRA puts the heat on super funds to improve unlisted assets oversight, UniSuper’s property head Kent Robbins is confident real estate valuation processes are stronger than other sectors such as private equity and infrastructure. Melbourne University’s Georgia Warren-Myers warned against valuing assets more frequently than necessary, and Spirit Super’s Bianca Ray has highlighted the complexity of addressing the fund’s overweight position in office towers.
MySuper decade shows ‘mixed’ verdict on lifecycle products
With 10 years since the introduction of MySuper, the average investment performance of growth and lifecycle products have been given very different scorecards, a report from researcher Chant West shows.
Over half of Australians support objective of super wording
Over half of Australians have agreed with the proposed objective of superannuation by the government, according to a survey commissioned by the Financial Services Council.
Real estate alternatives in focus as investors grapple with megatrends
Asset owners face significant challenges – but equally significant opportunities – from a number of global megatrends. The Investment Magazine Real Estate Forum 2024 unpacked the alpha to be found across emerging alternative sub-sectors including data centres, affordable residential, senior living and student accommodation.
Australia tops charts for pension assets-to-GDP growth ratio
The Australian super system has topped a list of 22 pension markets for its growth relative to GDP in the past 10 years and stood as the world’s fifth largest pension system in 2023, according to a Thinking Ahead Insititute study.
