The top-performing balanced super fund in Australia has delivered average annual returns of almost 9% over the past decade, according to research. Consumer comparison company Finder has published a list of the top-performing super funds over the 10 years to 30 June 2023, with Hostplus revealed as the No. 1 investment for returns.
Chant West provided the data, canvassing only balanced investment options among super funds. Balanced investment options are popular because they typically spread an investor’s superannuation monies across several asset classes, including shares, infrastructure, property, bonds and cash.
Here are the 5 top-performing super funds over the past decade
Hostplus Balanced (average 8.9% p.a.)
Hostplus’s balanced portfolio invests primarily in high growth assets with high stock diversification, according to the website. The minimum investment timeframe is more than five years and the target return is inflation (CPI) plus 4% p.a. over 20 years. The total investment fee is estimated at 0.98% p.a.
AustralianSuper Balanced (average 8.6% p.a)
This super fund invests in a wide range of assets, including shares, private equity, infrastructure, property, fixed interest, credit and cash, according to the website. The minimum investment timeframe is 10 years and the target return is CPI plus a minimum 4% p.a. over the medium to long term. In an example of fees on a $50,000 portfolio, the fee totalled 0.76% p.a.
Australian Retirement Trust (average 8.4% p.a.)
This fund has adopted the investment strategy of the Sunsuper Balanced investment option, according to the website. It invests in a wide variety of asset classes with a large allocation to Australian and international shares. The minimum investment timeframe is five years and the target return is CPI plus 3.5% p.a. over 10 years. The total investment fee is estimated at 0.8% p.a.
UniSuper Balanced (average 8.4% p.a.)
UniSuper balanced invests in a diversified portfolio of mainly higher-risk assets such as Australian and international shares, property, infrastructure and private equity, with some fixed interest and cash investments, according to the website. The minimum investment timeframe is 10 years and the target return is CPI plus 3% p.a. over 10 years. The total investment fee is estimated at 0.51% p.a.
Cbus Growth (MySuper) (average 8.3% p.a.)
The Cbus MySuper fund invests in growth assets including Australian shares and global shares, private equity, infrastructure, property, global credit, fixed interest and cash. The target return is CPI plus 3.5% p.a. over 10 years. The total investment fee is estimated at 0.5% p.a.
Source: Chant West, average annual returns among balanced super funds, 10 years to 30 June 2023
If we compare these funds’ performance to other assets owned by Australian investors, we find that over this same 10-year period, the median house price across Australia’s combined capital cities rose by about 70%. In other words, your home’s value grew by an average of 7% per year, according to CoreLogic data. If you owned an investment property during this time period, then rental returns would be added on top.
Compared to shares, the top super funds above outperformed the ASX 200. Using a popular index-based exchange-traded fund (ETF) as our yardstick, we see that the iShares Core S&P/ASX 200 ETF (ASX: IOZ) has delivered an average annual return of 7.5% (combined capital growth and dividends) since inception in 2010.
If you want to switch super funds, Finder provides the following advice and a four-step process.
Step 1: Choose a new super fund
Look for a combination of low annual fees, high long-term returns (10 year performance) and an investment strategy you understand and agree with.
Step 2: Join the new super fund
Download and complete the new membership form from the fund’s website.
Step 3: Transfer your existing super
Download and complete a second form to transfer your existing super to the new fund.
Step 4: Tell your employer
Download and complete a third form from your new fund’s website called the ‘employee super choice form’ or similar.
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Overall, the season showed that share prices react less to whether profits rose or fell than to the gap between results and expectations
Reporting season has once again reminded investors that a strong profit does not guarantee a rising share price, and a large loss does not always trigger a sell-off. What matters most is how each result compares with expectations and, increasingly, what management says about the year ahead. During the August 2026 season, companies offering credible turnarounds or unexpectedly strong guidance were rewarded handsomely, while those flagging weaker margins, slowing demand or greater uncertainty were punished.
The following ranking draws on Morningstar’s review of 164 ASX-listed companies and measures each company’s share-price movement on the day it reported. This captures the market’s immediate response to the earnings announcement, before subsequent economic developments, dividends and company-specific news cloud the picture. Here are the five biggest winners, and the five hardest-hit losers, of the season so far.
The five winners
1. Bapcor (ASX:BAP): +41.0%
Bapcor delivered reporting season’s largest relief rally after presenting early evidence that its troubled automotive-parts business was stabilising. Although underlying revenue fell 1.8% to $1.92 billion and underlying NPAT collapsed 85% to $10.8 million, underlying EBITDA of $152.5 million exceeded guidance.
More importantly, working-capital initiatives released $68.5 million in the second half, lifting cash conversion to 109.4% and reducing net debt by 63% to $135 million. The statutory loss was $431.6 million, largely because of non-cash impairments. Investors focused on improving operational momentum, stronger liquidity and management’s expectation of modest FY27 revenue growth.
2. Zip Co (ASX:ZIP): +18.2%
Zip comfortably surpassed its FY26 targets, sending the buy-now-pay-later provider’s shares sharply higher. Transaction volume rose 23% to $16.7 billion, while cash earnings before tax, depreciation and amortisation jumped 58% to a record $268.9 million. Statutory profit climbed 46% to $116.4 million, and the cash operating margin expanded by 4.2 percentage points to 20%.
The strongest signal was guidance for FY27 cash earnings of $340 million—around 26% growth and above analysts’ forecasts. US transaction volume increased 42.5% and now represents three-quarters of group volume, offsetting weaker customer activity in Australia.
3. CSL (ASX:CSL): +17.3%
CSL’s result was hardly spectacular in isolation, but it cleared a market bar that had fallen dramatically following earlier downgrades and restructuring announcements. Underlying NPATA was US$3.1 billion, down 2% in constant-currency terms, while operating cash flow reached US$3.51 billion.
CSL maintained its full-year dividend at US$2.92 per share and completed a A$1 billion buyback. The real catalyst was FY27 guidance for approximately 5% underlying profit growth, compared with market expectations closer to 2%. After an extended period of earnings disappointments, investors interpreted the outlook as evidence that CSL’s core plasma business was approaching a sustainable recovery.
4. Judo Capital (ASX:JDO): +16.9%
Judo Capital demonstrated strong operating leverage as its specialist business-lending franchise expanded. Full-year profit before tax rose 34% to $168.1 million, while pre-provision profit increased 42%. Gross loans and advances grew 18% to $14.7 billion, reaching the top of the bank’s guidance range and comfortably exceeding broader system growth.
Deposits increased 24% to $12.2 billion, return on equity improved by 1.1 percentage points to 6.4%, and earnings per share rose 29% to 9.9 cents. Reaffirmation of the FY27 outlook gave investors confidence that loan growth could continue without sacrificing margins or credit quality.
5. Super Retail Group (ASX:SUL): +15.8%
The owner of Supercheap Auto, rebel, BCF and Macpac reported record sales of $4.2 billion, up 3.2%, despite cautious discretionary spending. Profitability went backwards: normalised profit before tax fell 7% to $306 million and normalised NPAT declined 2.8% to $226 million as transformation spending weighed on margins. Nevertheless, the result exceeded subdued expectations, online sales grew 5.3% and membership across the group’s loyalty programs reached 13.1 million. Investors were also encouraged by positive early FY27 trading, stable gross margins and continued market-share gains. A fully franked 33-cent final dividend added to the appeal.
The five losers
1. Hansen Technologies (ASX:HSN): –21.2%
Hansen’s historic result met expectations, but investors recoiled from its outlook. The utility and communications software provider achieved an underlying EBITDA margin of 31%, exceeding its 30% target, while generating strong cash flow. However, management designated FY27 an “investment and transition year”, signalling a roughly five-percentage-point margin contraction as spending on products, sales capabilities and organisational changes increased.
Revenue had already been broadly flat, leaving investors concerned that the investment program would depress earnings before new growth appeared. Leadership changes, including the chief executive’s departure, added uncertainty. Management expects revenue growth and margins above 30% to return in FY28, but the market was unwilling to wait.
2. Life360 (ASX:360): –19.4%
Life360’s headline growth was impressive: quarterly revenue rose 38% to US$159 million, subscription revenue increased 31%, and adjusted EBITDA climbed 53% to US$31.1 million. Monthly active users reached 102.4 million and paying circles grew 27% to 3.2 million. The sell-off reflected expectations rather than a collapsing business.
Net income fell 18%, the net margin contracted from 6% to 3%, hardware shipments dropped 18%, and full-year EBITDA guidance was merely maintained. After a strong valuation run, investors wanted a larger upgrade and clearer evidence that heavy investment in advertising, international expansion and artificial intelligence would generate additional earnings.
3. PEXA Group (ASX:PXA): –17.0%
PEXA reported a 7% increase in continuing-operations revenue and 12% EBITDA growth to $152 million, accompanied by a two-percentage-point margin expansion. Free cash flow increased 39%, suggesting the core Australian electronic-conveyancing platform remained highly profitable. Investors instead concentrated on management’s warning that property-transfer volumes could decline, alongside regulatory uncertainty surrounding the fees PEXA can charge.
The company is also continuing to invest heavily in its loss-making international expansion. Morningstar considered the market reaction excessive, arguing that structural transfer-volume assumptions had not materially changed, but the combination of softer near-term activity and regulatory risk overwhelmed the respectable headline numbers.
4. SEEK (ASX:SEK): –14.3%
SEEK produced solid FY26 figures, including 10% revenue growth to $1.20 billion, a 15% rise in EBITDA and 28% growth in adjusted earnings per share. It also lifted its fully franked annual dividend by 13% to a record 52 cents. Those achievements were overshadowed by falling paid job-ad volumes and cautious FY27 assumptions.
The statutory accounts included a $201 million loss from the SEEK Growth Fund and $377 million of significant items, making the headline result considerably less attractive. Investors were particularly concerned that economic weakness could limit volumes while the company continued investing in platform integration and artificial-intelligence products.
5. JB Hi-Fi (ASX:JBH): –12.3%
JB Hi-Fi’s full-year result was broadly respectable, with group sales rising 5% to $11.1 billion and underlying earnings per share increasing 6% to $4.48. The damage came from its current-trading update. Australian sales were almost flat during the June quarter and deteriorated further in July, while earnings in the core Australian electronics business fell 3.6%.
Housing-related categories were particularly weak as higher living costs and interest rates constrained household budgets. With JB Hi-Fi entering the season on a demanding valuation, an in-line historic result was not sufficient: the loss of sales momentum prompted investors to rapidly reduce their expectations for FY27.
Overall, the season showed that share prices react less to whether profits rose or fell than to the gap between results and expectations. Bapcor was rewarded for being less troubled than feared, while several fundamentally profitable companies were punished because their outlooks failed to justify elevated valuations.
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