SUPERANNUATION – AUSTRALIA

Small super funds return a higher level of satisfaction for investors

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Original article by Aleks Vickovich
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 17-May-21

Research by CoreData shows that superannuation funds with assets of less than $20bn outperform their larger peers in terms of customer satisfaction. Smaller funds received an overall score of 63 among members who have retired and a score of 53.2 with regard to preparedness for retirement. In contrast, large super funds received a rating of 57.7 among retirees and just 46.9 among pre-retirees. The survey of more than 4,000 respondents has coincided with a regulatory push for smaller super funds to merge.

CORPORATES
COREDATA PTY LTD

Challenge for AMP over pay, fund deal

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Original article by Joyce Moullakis
The Australian – Page: 17 : 26-Apr-21

AMP’s proposal to spin off its private markets division is set to be a key focus of its virtual AGM on 30 April. Brett Le Mesurier of Velocity Trade has downgraded his share price target for AMP in response to the demerger proposal, which followed AMP’s decision to terminate negotiations with Ares Management over a full or partial sale of the business. Meanwhile, two proxy advisers have recommended that shareholders vote in favour of AMP’s remuneration report, while ISS has called for investors to reject it.

CORPORATES
AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, ARES CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC, INSTITUTIONAL SHAREHOLDER SERVICES INCORPORATED

Super shines as economy bounces back

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Original article by Cliona O’Dowd
The Australian – Page: 13 & 19 : 21-Apr-21

Data from Chant West shows that the median growth superannuation fund achieved a return of 12.2 per cent in the first nine months of 2020-21. Mano Mohankumar of Chant West says super funds are on track to deliver a double-digit return for the financial year. The median growth fund gained 3.3 per cent in the March quarter and 2.2 per cent so far in April. Hostplus and Sunsuper are among the growth funds that have posted returns of more than 20 per cent so far in 2020-21.

CORPORATES
CHANT WEST FINANCIAL SERVICES PTY LTD, HOST-PLUS, SUNSUPER PTY LTD

Funds fall as super savers hit by Covid

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Original article by Anthony Keane
The Australian – Page: 20 : 9-Apr-21

Data from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority shows that some of the nation’s largest superannuation funds recorded overall growth in members in 2019-20. However, seven out of 10 super funds had a net loss of members during the financial year, particularly retail funds. The federal government’s early access scheme contributed to the closure of some super accounts, but Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia CEO Martin Fahy says the main factor was the federal government’s policy of consolidating accounts with low balances.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, THE ASSOCIATION OF SUPERANNUATION FUNDS OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED

New chief confronts huge task at AMP

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Original article by Joyce Moullakis
The Weekend Australian – Page: 21 & 25 : 3-Apr-21

Analysts are generally positive about the appointment of Alexis George to succeed Francesco De Ferrari as CEO of embattled wealth manager AMP, but note the challenges that she will face. George is currently deputy CEO at the ANZ Bank, and will take up her new role in the September quarter. AMP’s shares have fallen more than 45 per cent since De Ferrari became CEO in December 2018. AMP is still in talks with Ares Management regarding the sale of its private markets division.

CORPORATES
AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, ARES MANAGEMENT CORPORATION

Smaller funds hit in super grab

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Original article by Lachlan Moffet Gray
The Australian – Page: 13 & 17 : 9-Feb-21

Data from the Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority shows that a total of $36.4bn was withdrawn from superannuation funds via the federal government’s early access scheme. This was well below the Treasury’s initial forecast of more than $42bn. Members of Australian­Super withdrew more than $5bn in total, although this accounts for just 2.5 per cent of the industry giant’s assets. In contrast, some $21.18m was withdrawn from the Grosvenor Pirie Master Superannuation Fund, which equates to 14 per cent of its asset base.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY,AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY,AUSTRALIANSUPER PTY LTD,GROSVENOR PIRIE MASTER SUPERANNUATION FUND

Under-insurance risk in super: Cbus

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Original article by Glenda Korporaal
The Australian – Page: 13 & 14 : 25-Jan-21

Cbus CEO executive Justin Arter has called for the government to exempt workers in high-risk jobs from the ‘stapling’ provisions of its proposed superannuation legislation. Under the legislation, a person’s superannuation fund would be the first fund that they signed up for. Arter notes that many of its members work in dangerous roles, but that 80 per cent are not first-time workers and would have super funds from their previous occupations; he is worried they risk being under-insured under the government’s proposals. He says Cbus offers superior insurance for people killed or injured while working, with Cbus insurance paying out $298 million in claims in 2019-20.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING UNIONS’ SUPERANNUATION FUND

Top-placed super funds defy virus chaos

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Original article by Cliona O’Dowd
The Australian – Page: 22 : 22-Jan-21

Suncorp’s Multi-Manager Growth Fund was Australia’s best-performed superannuation fund in 2020, according to research house SuperRatings, returning 9.6 per cent. It was followed by Australian Ethical’s balanced option, which returned eight per cent, and Vision SS’s balanced option, which returned 6.2 per cent. The median return for super funds in 2020 was 3.3 per cent, while the S&P/ASX 200 index fell by 1.45 per cent over the same period.

CORPORATES
SUNCORP GROUP LIMITED – ASX SUN, SUPERRATINGS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN ETHICAL SUPERANNUATION PTY LTD, VISION SUPER PTY LTD

AusSuper goes solo in $5bn Infratil bid

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Original article by Cliona O’Dowd
The Australian – Page: 13 & 19 : 9-Dec-20

AustralianSuper is offering $NZ7.43 ($7.04) per share in an indicative, non-binding takeover offer for New Zealand-based Infratil. The offer comprises a cash component of $NZ5.79 per share and an in-specie distribution of shares in renewable energy provider Trustpower. The bid for the dual-listed Infratil is the first major deal that AustralianSuper has pursued on its own; the industry fund has previously teamed up with co-investors to bid for companies such as Navitas and Healthscope. AustralianSuper is said to have been looking at Infratil for at least a year.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIANSUPER PTY LTD, INFRATIL LIMITED – ASX IFT, NAVITAS LIMITED, HEALTHSCOPE LIMITED

Super fund satisfaction increases in October

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 9-Dec-20

New data from Roy Morgan’s Superannuation Satisfaction Report shows an overall super fund satisfaction rating of 61.0% in October. This is an increase of 0.6% points from a month ago, but still down 3.1% points on a year ago. The most recent ratings cover the period since May 2020, during which time Australians in financial hardship were able to apply to withdraw two tranches of up to $10,000 of their superannuation. Importantly, the monthly increase in Superannuation Satisfaction is the first month-on-month increase since the COVID-19 pandemic and appears to represent a turning of the corner for the rating after declining during the worst months of the pandemic. The largest increase by sector was for Self-Managed Funds, which increased 1.5% points to a customer satisfaction rating of 65.3%. Public Sector Funds increased their customer satisfaction by 1.3% points to 71.5% and for the fifth month in a row have clearly the highest rating. The customer satisfaction rating of Industry Funds rose by 0.4% points to 62.5% in October, and Retail Funds were up 0.1% to 53.6%. The report’s findings are from Roy Morgan Single Source, Australia’s most trusted consumer survey, compiled by in-depth interviews with over 50,000 Australians each year.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED