FTSE Russell, which is owned by the London Stock Exchange (LSE), has launched a new index series, the FTSE All-World ex Australia Net Tax (Super) Index Series, specifically for the Australian superannuation industry.
The new index series, which was developed with Qantas Super, would be aimed to support the superannuation industry’s focus towards greater transparency and more accurate measurement of performance.
It would calculate net returns for global equities after deducting both capital gains tax and withholding tax.
The withholding tax rates reflected the Australian superannuation tax treaty rates that applied to each market.
The index was expected to enable funds to accurately measure after-tax investment performance against an after-tax industry benchmark that was representative of the tax in superannuation member returns.
FTSE Russell’ managing director, Jessie Pak, said: “FTSE Russell has a strong track record of calculating net-of-tax total return indexes for different investor types, the newest of which is for Australian superannuation funds.
“Providing our clients with indexes that take into consideration superannuation tax rates reduces the tracking error between a fund and the index, therefore providing a more accurate measure of the fund’s performance.”
The super fund has announced Gregory has been appointed to its executive leadership team, taking on the fresh role of chief advice officer.
The deputy governor has warned that, as super funds’ overseas assets grow and liquidity risks rise, they will need to expand their FX hedge books to manage currency exposure effectively.
Super funds have built on early financial year momentum, as growth funds deliver strong results driven by equities and resilient bonds.
The super fund has announced that Mark Rider will step down from his position of chief investment officer (CIO) after deciding to “semi-retire” from full-time work.