Institutional investors have been warned against long-term investment in exchange traded funds (ETFs).
A new analysis issued by Watson Wyatt has claimed that while the development of the ETF sector has driven a great deal of product innovation, institutional investors should be considering ETFs in the same context as alternative investments.
It said this was because ETFs generally had higher fees than institutional index products, might have tax implications that required specialist advice and often contained counterparty risks for which investors might not be compensated.
Commenting on the research, Watson Wyatt senior investment consultant Chris Sutton said while ETFs were to be applauded for their substantial innovation and the way they had opened up a world of potentially interesting market exposures, the case for inclusion in institutional investment portfolios was not yet obvious.
He said the Watson Wyatt analysis suggested there were a good range of institutional passive products available in most markets that were cheaper than many ETFs.
The research house has offered a silver lining after super fund returns saw the end of a five-month streak last month.
A survey of almost 6,000 fund members has identified weakening retirement confidence, particularly among those under 55 years of age, signalling an opportunity for super funds to better engage with members on their retirement journey.
The funds have confirmed the signing of a successor fund transfer deed, moving closer to creating a new $29 billion entity.
A number of measures, including super on Paid Parental Leave, funding to recover unpaid super, and frameworks to encourage investment in the energy transition, have been welcomed by the superannuation industry.
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