The new global regulatory standards for bank capital adequacy, Basel III, may have a flown-on effect on the cash strategies of Australian superannuation funds.
While the banking reforms - developed by the Bank of International Settlements - primarily effect the capital management of global banking systems, MAP Funds Management chief investment officer Ross Endres said the reforms would definitely impact the management of MAP's cash pool and the possible returns that pure cash may earn in the future.
As a number of super funds make the return back to cash in their asset allocation, Endres said MAP would have to consider other solutions to maintain the strong performance he has seen in the asset class over the past two years.
"What is particularly pleasing for me is that we (MAP) took a strategic decision to focus on cash back in 2009 and we are seeing the results of that decision on the current returns of our fund now," he said.
"We are currently in discussions with a number of banks and other Australian deposit-taking institutions looking for the best solutions for our members."
Private market assets in super have surged, while private debt recorded the fastest growth among all investment types.
The equities investor has launched a new long-short fund seeded by UniSuper, targeting alpha from ASX 300 equities using AI insights.
The fund has strengthened efforts to boost gender diversity, targeting 40:40:20 balance across its investment teams by 2030.
The lower outlook for inflation has set the stage for another two rate cuts over the first half of 2026, according to Westpac.