On the back of a flat March quarter, superannuation funds have had a strong April with the median growth fund up 1.7 per cent, according to Chant West’s latest data.
This brought the returns for the first ten months of this financial year to a healthy 7.4 per cent, putting them on track for a ninth straight positive year.
Decent performances from the share markets, which were the main drivers of growth fund performance, helped achieve this result.
Australian shares were up 3.8 per cent for April, while their international equivalents were up 1.9 per cent in hedged terms. In unhedged terms, the slight depreciation of the Australian dollar pushed this figure up slightly to 2.8 per cent.
A member body representing some prominent wealth managers is concerned super funds’ dominance is sidelining small companies in capital markets.
Earlier this month, several Australian superannuation funds fell victim to credential stuffing attacks, which saw a small number of members lose more than $500,000.
Small- to medium-sized funds have become collateral damage in an "imperfect" model for super industry levies, a financial institution has said.
Big business has joined the chorus of opposition against the proposed Division 296 tax.