Michael Elsworth, Manager, Fixed Income, Lonsec Managers within the Unconstrained Bonds and Specialised Income sectors have been shifting their portfolios in response to the uncertain economic backdrop. Many Government Bonds and Investment Grade Credit securities, the traditional ballasts of fixed income portfolios, are trading at historically tight credit spreads – which does not bode well for […]
Superannuation balances fell sharply over March as events in Iran evolved and the disruption to global oil supplies exacerbated emerging economic pressures. Leading research house SuperRatings estimates the median option will report negative returns across the balanced, growth and capital stable indices. The median Balanced option is estimated to have declined by -3.2% in March,
Media release: March market shock hits super balances Read More »
Hong Hon, Manager, Global Equities, Lonsec Since my last article, AI Stocks: Bubble or Structural Shift? back in December 2025, markets have mostly stayed upbeat, but the rotation under the surface has only gotten louder. Global equities kicked off 2026 on the front foot. Emerging markets and commodities led the way, and most investors started
AI stocks: What’s changed so far in 2026, and why has SaaS just blinked at AI agents? Read More »
Despite the Reserve Bank of Australia raising rates at the start of the month, superannuation balances continued to grow in February. Superannuation research house, SuperRatings, estimates the median balanced option rose by 1.1% over the month. To the end of February, funds have delivered small but consistent positive returns in most months to drive a respectable 6.3% return for the financial year to date. However, with events currently occurring in the Middle East and inflation expectations
Media release: Returns under pressure as uncertainty builds Read More »
Michael Elsworth, Manager, Fixed Income, Lonsec In December 2024, APRA announced the phase-out of Additional Tier 1 securities (AT1 or hybrids) as eligible bank capital, a move that will see the $40+ billion Australian bank hybrid market shut by 2032. This announcement of the phase-out of hybrid securities issued by Australian banks has created a
The great Australian bank hybrid phase-out Read More »
Mike Grdosic, Senior Investment Analyst, Lonsec There have been a significant number of ‘evergreen’ private debt funds launched in Australia over the past few years. A key risk of these funds is the potential mismatch in liquidity as the underlying asset class is illiquid. This insight focuses on the differentiated features of private debt that
Private debt ‘evergreen’ funds: How managers are addressing liquidity risk Read More »
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 12 February 2026 Melbourne, Australia – Lonsec today released new analysis of Australian equity market performance over the 2025 calendar year, highlighting a challenging period for growth strategies, strong dispersion among active managers, and renewed momentum in the small‑cap sector. The findings also point to meaningful structural shifts driven by superannuation fund
Media release: Lonsec reveals key market trends Read More »
Super balances continued to grow over the first month of 2026 with leading superannuation research house, SuperRatings, estimating the median balanced option generated a modest return of 0.5% in January. The January bump is the sixth positive return for members this financial year, with November 2025 the only month funds haven’t added to member balances through investment returns. However, returns are significantly more muted that this time last year with the financial year to date return sitting
Media release: Modest gains for super in January Read More »
