What are the best performing funds and mirrors in Australia? Hostplus, Canva and the year of super loss - Michael West
Australians get a harsh shock when they open their retirement statements. For most, it was a rare year of loss. Only three funds ended up black. Callum Foote and Michael West investigate super returns and the best performing fund of all, Hostplus. It’s an obvious thing, but it’s still of no value. When interest rates rise, the stock market tends to fall. And that’s exactly what happened to the savings of millions of Australians for the year to June. Opening our pension fund letter, we found that our scores were lower than the previous year. The stock market decline has been compounded by an unusual phenomenon; bonds also fell. Bonds are an important part of a “balanced” super portfolio, and when bond yields (interest rates on debt) rise, bond prices fall. The good news is the market has bounced since then, so the positive returns over the past seven weeks should send most of us back into the dark. Tracing the league tables, historic trends prevail, even in this turbulent year