AustralianSuper’s Balanced option returned 10.27% for the financial year ended 30 June 2011, comparing well with the median balanced option return of 8.71%. Over 10 years, AustralianSuper’s average annual return of 6.13% considerably outperforms the median balanced option return of 4.94%.
These were among the financial highlights of AustralianSuper’s recently mailed SuperBusiness bulletin for employers.
AustralianSuper chair Elana Rubin noted that the organisation was recently named Industry Super Fund of the Year at the Australian Financial Review Smart Investor Blue Ribbon Awards 2011. She thanked retiring director Bernie Fraser “for his outstanding contribution to the fund and the superannuation industry as a whole. Under Bernie’s guidance, our Balanced option returns have been in the top 25% of results for super funds from 1998 to 2011.”
In his first investment commentary for employers as chair of AustralianSuper’s investment committee, Tim Poole affirmed that the fund has had a very strong investment year. “This year, investment markets presented a myriad of opportunities and challenges and our competitive returns are due to our investment team and investment committee’s continued active management of AustralianSuper’s portfolios, within our very sound and successful asset allocation strategy,” he stated.
Looking ahead, Poole said, “We expect volatility will continue in the short to medium term, with global market concerns and responses contributing to short-term swings in market sentiment and returns. In times of uncertainty, for most members, it’s important to take a long-term perspective.
“Over the short-term, share markets tend to be driven by investor sentiment, which can change quite dramatically, as we have seen over 2010/2011.
“However, investing over longer time periods, and diversifying both across and within asset classes, can help to smooth out the highs and lows and pave the way for long-term growth.”