Domestic equities underpin double-digit super returns

Superannuation again proved to be an excellent investment in 2006, with most fund members being rewarded with double-digit returns, according to the latest data released by Mercer Investment Consulting.

The data, released in late December, pointed out that for the third consecutive year superannuation investors were set to earn double-digit returns on their superannuation funds — something that had not happened since the three-year period from the beginning of 1996 to the end of 1998.

What is important about the Mercer figures is that they reveal that the average pool fund return for the calendar year was 14.4 per cent, only slightly lower than the 15.1 per cent achieved in 2005 and the 16.1 per cent achieved in the previous year.

The major driver for the double-digit superannuation returns was the impressive performance of the Australian share market and the performance of listed property.