The latest data released by specialist research house Chant West has confirmed the relative outperformance of industry super funds over the past 10 years has been based on their larger exposure to unlisted investments.
At the same time, it has shown that retail master trusts have done better in the period of the recovery from the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), which has been mostly underpinned by the improving fortunes of both domestic and international equities.
The Chant West data showed that for the September quarter, there was nothing to split the performance of industry funds and their retail funds.
Chant West said industry funds had done better when listed markets had been flat or in decline, while more positive markets had favoured master trusts.
"That pattern is likely to continue as long as the asset allocation differences between the two camps are so pronounced," it said.
The Chant West data revealed solid September quarter returns for superannuation funds, with the median growth fund (61 to 80 per cent allocation to growth assets) gaining 4.9 per cent over the first three months of the financial year.
Chant West principal Warren Chant pointed out that this was on the back of the 15.6 per cent return for the 2012/13 financial year, which equalled the highest single year return since 1997.
Originally published by SMSF Essentials.
