A strong performance from international shares has contributed to a “tremendous” 2.1% jump in the median superannuation fund’s balance in May, according to financial research and insights company Chant West.
The organisation said that, taking into consideration market movements in June so far and with less than two weeks of the financial year to go, they are estimating that the median growth fund, with 61% to 80% of investments in growth assets, will return 9% for the year.
Offshore boost to portfolios
Head of Super Investment Research, Mano Mohankumar, said the strong performance to date had been largely driven by international listed shares.
He explained further:
It also helped that all asset classes have delivered positive returns over the period with the exception of Australian REITs, to which super funds have very little exposure. The FY26 experience is another timely reminder of the importance of maintaining a long-term perspective and not getting distracted by short-term market noise. In late March, a return in the vicinity of 9% for growth funds would have appeared unlikely following the significant share market pullback, sparked by the US-Iran conflict and concerns around interest rates amid rising inflation. However, since then we’ve seen international share markets rebound strongly, albeit with some volatility, supported by robust corporate earnings, optimism around easing tensions in the Middle East and continued enthusiasm for AI investment.
Mr Mohankumar said a return of 9% would mark four consecutive years of strong returns with returns of 9.2% in FY23, 9.1% in FY24, and 10.4% in FY25.
He added:
It would also represent the 15th positive year out of the last 17. Most importantly, super funds continue to meet their long-term return and risk objectives.
How to top up your super before the end of the financial year
If you’re looking to maximise your superannuation contributions for the year, and potentially reduce your tax bill, it’s worth having a look at the amount of concessional contributions you have made, and whether you can top that up.
Concessional contributions are contributions made to superannuation from your before-tax salary, and include the super guarantee contributions made by your employer, which are 12% of your salary.
Each year, you are allowed to make concessional contributions of up to $30,000. Extra contributions made beyond what your employer contributes can serve to reduce your tax load, as contributions are taxed at 15%.
In terms of figuring out how much extra you can put into your super in this way, it is possible to keep track of your concessional contributions by using the Australian Taxation Office’s online services.
Your superannuation fund might also be able to show you where you stand with regard to concessional contributions.
If you do put extra into your super and want it to be a concessional contribution, you also need to lodge a notice of intent to claim, which alerts your super fund that it is a concessional contribution, and they will take the 15% tax out as necessary.
This is necessary as it is also possible to make non-concessional contributions of up to $130,000 per year.
The post Super funds had a “tremendous” May. Just how much did they jump? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.
Wondering where you should invest $1,000 right now?
When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*
Scott just revealed what he believes could be the ‘five best ASX stocks’ for investors to buy right now. We believe these stocks are trading at attractive prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right nowâ¦
* Returns as of 16 June 2026
.custom-cta-button p {
margin-bottom: 0 !important;
}
More reading
- Why Air New Zealand, Emeco, ResMed, and Westgold shares are tumbling today
- Qantas shares lifting off today on ‘history making’ news
- This ASX uranium stock is up 950% in a year. Why is it surging again?
- Rio Tinto share price rallies 75% in 12 months: Is the mining stock still a buy or have the shares now peaked?
- Buy, hold, sell: Flight Centre, SGH, and Navigator Global shares
Motley Fool contributor Cameron England has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.