Median balanced superannuation funds will have an annual return of about 15% by the end of the year and this is a result not seen since 2013, according to SuperRatings.
According to SuperRatings, funds had “done a good job” of managing uncertainty brought by global risks and challenging economic conditions.
It said over the past five years the median balanced options returned an estimated 7.9% per annum, compared to 8.7% per annum for growth and 4.9% per annum for capital stable.
The median balanced pension option over 2019 returned an estimate 16.3% year-to-date to the end of November, compared to 19.6% for growth and 9.6% for capital stable.
SuperRatings executive director, Kirby Rappell, said: “It’s been a nervous year for investors, so it’s great to see that super can deliver some much-needed stability and solid returns during this period. There might not be a lot of positive economic news at the moment, but at least super is one story we can all draw some hope from.
“We expect to see an increase in fund mergers in 2020, but it’s important that regulatory responses don’t move us towards a one-size-fits-all approach, which could be detrimental to member outcomes."
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.