Australian Retirement Trust delivers double digit investment returns to members
Media release - 3 July 2023
ART’S Super Savings Balanced option achieves top quartile performance despite property valuation adjustment
Australian Retirement Trust (ART), one of Australia’s largest super funds, has delivered a 10% p.a. return for its Super Savings Balanced option for the 2022/23 financial year.
Chief Investment Officer, Ian Patrick, said that despite the challenges in some sectors, inflationary pressures and rising interest rates, the result is an excellent outcome for members.
“Although the year has not been without challenges, Australian Retirement Trust’s diversified portfolios have proved resilient and generated 10% p.a. returns, with our Super Savings Balanced option among the best performing in the country,” Mr Patrick said.
“This result is a testament to the hard work of the team in building highly diversified investment portfolios that can weather these volatile markets. The Australian Retirement Trust investment team has delivered outperformance in almost every sector this financial year, making this a true team success. As a profit-for-members fund, our investment team remains focused on delivering the best outcomes to our 2.2 million members, so they can retire well with confidence.”
Mr Patrick highlighted how the Fund’s proactive and robust approach to valuations would set the Fund up for future success.
"Our prompt action during the previous financial year to adjust our private equity valuations to reflect market conditions set us up for success this year and I similarly believe that our early action on property this financial year will do the same.
“A combination of structural and cyclical changes have influenced supply and demand dynamics in the property sector. In light of those challenges, we proactively sought updated valuations in line with our valuation policy. The outcomes are aligned with our expectations, with the office sector specifically experiencing material downward adjustments due to capital market disruption and decline in occupancy.
“Despite the challenges in the office sector, the diversification in the property portfolio into alternative property sectors such as industrial property, US Residential debt strategies and aged care has helped balance outcomes.
“It is important to always remember that super is a long-term investment, and Australian Retirement Trust’s Super Savings Balanced option has delivered a return of 8.4% over 10 years until 30 June 2023. Our investment team’s expertise and experience enables us to deliver solid and competitive investment returns to our members over the long-term.
“As market volatility looks to remain for at least the short to medium-term, we encourage all Australians to take note of their superannuation strategy and check their funds’ long-term investment performance net of all fees and costs and ensure they’re in the right fund for them.
“At Australian Retirement Trust we genuinely believe in the power of financial advice and the impact it can have on people’s lives, so we encourage people to speak to a financial adviser to set themselves up for better retirement outcomes.
“As one of Australia’s largest super funds, we place members’ financial wellbeing in retirement at the centre of all that we do, so we’re exceptionally proud to be able to deliver one of the best performances for 22/23 to our members,” said Mr Patrick.
After another year of top quartile performance, Australian Retirement Trust’s Super Savings Balanced Accumulation option continues to consistently provide leading investment returns to members, ranking among the top 3 funds over 3, 5, 7 and 10 years to 31 May 2023.*
Returns for other options are available on our websites https://www.australianretirementtrust.com.au/performance and https://qsuper.qld.gov.au/investments/performance.
*Source: SuperRatings Fund Crediting Rate Survey