Welcome to issue 12 of Investment Intel: Australia, which contains curated news about the Australian investment landscape, specifically for Asian investment managers.

If you have any questions about our newsletter or the services of APAC Financial Services, please let me know.

Best wishes,

David Thomas
APAC Financial Services
Email: davidthomas@apacfinancialservices.com

Current News and Insights

Recent research into global dividends  revealed a 5% increase in global dividends, reaching a record US$1.66 trillion in 2023. In Australia, the results were less favourable, with companies either maintaining or slightly increasing dividends, falling behind the 85% global average. However, these increases weren't sufficient to counterbalance significant cuts from mining groups, resulting in a 10.7% decline in Australian payouts. Further details can be found here.

One of Australia’s largest super funds, Hostplus has rejected claims it is promoting anti-competitive behaviour in attempting to ban human resources technology platform, Employment Hero, from offering employees choice of superannuation funds at the onboarding process. This news is raising questions around the future of the superannuation industry and its growing dominance in Australia's broader financial system. More details can be found here and here.  

Global ratings agency, Morningstar, will soon provide research ratings for funds in Australia's $3.5 trillion superannuation sector. The rating agency is working on new data and research tools to cover more superannuation funds, helping people navigate the many options available for saving and retirement. More information can be found here.