The Socially Conscious Balanced option offers a diversified portfolio for members who want to grow their super over the long term and invest in an option which has additional exclusions and an additional approach to sustainable investing.
The sustainable investment approaches of integration and stewardship also apply to this option, as relevant to the asset class and investment style. Thematic investing, where investments are selected to access specific trends, such as investment in climate-related opportunities, may also be used when selecting external investment managers for this option.
Returns over the last 10 years1
Suggested timeframe
Fees2 + admin fees and costs
Suitable if you're an investor who:
Expected number of years of negative annual returns in any 20 years: 3 to less than 4. The risk is based on the standard risk measure (SRM).
| Accumulation and TTR Income accounts: | CPI + 3.5% p.a. |
| Retirement Income accounts: | CPI + 4.0% p.a. |
| Super assets: | $770.7 million |
| Pension assets: | $249.5 million |
As at 31 March 20251
Our Socially Conscious Balanced option for Accumulation accounts produced a return of -0.38% for the March quarter and 5.70% over the year to 31 March 2025. The 10-year return of 6.22% p.a. remains broadly in line with the option’s return objective of CPI+3.5% p.a.
After a positive start to 2025, world share market sentiment deteriorated as the quarter progressed in response to the trade war triggered by President Trump’s decisions on tariffs. While emerging share markets produced positive returns, Australian and developed market returns were negative over the quarter, as significant falls in US and Japanese share prices more than offset gains in UK and Europe.
After a sharp sell-off in the final months of 2024, both Australian and global fixed income returns were positive over the March quarter.
For our Socially Conscious Balanced option, Australian and international stocks that were excluded as a result of screens that apply to these asset classes in the option tended to underperform the broader market. Accordingly, these exclusions contributed to returns.
| Accumulation accounts | Retirement Income accounts4 | |
|---|---|---|
| 10 years (p.a.) | 6.22% | 6.93% |
| 7 years (p.a.) | 7.29% | 8.07% |
| 5 years (p.a.) | 9.47% | 10.64% |
| 3 years (p.a.) | 5.91% | 6.61% |
| 1 year | 5.70% | 6.39% |
| 3 months | -0.38% | -0.42% |
Past performance isn't a reliable indicator of future performance. Returns shown are after investment fees and costs, transaction costs and investment taxes (where relevant) but before all other fees and costs.
Returns shown here for our Accumulation account are also the returns that apply for Transition to Retirement Income accounts. Tax generally doesn't apply to investment earnings in Retirement Income accounts.
| Strategic asset allocation5 | |
|---|---|
|
Australian
shares
|
25.5% |
|
International
shares
|
27.5% |
|
Unlisted
assets and alternatives
|
28.0% |
|
Fixed
income
|
17.0% |
|
Cash
|
2.0% |
| Total | 100% |
Details of the exclusions for the Socially Conscious Balanced option including the exceptions to these exclusions are outlined in our Super Savings Investment Guide and QSuper Investment Guide.
Portfolio holdings disclosure information for all of Australian Retirement Trust’s products in line with the specific requirements of Australian law can be found here.
View all holdingsAs at 31 March 2025
We don't design portfolios based on short-term economic, market, or geopolitical forecasts. However, our investment team and external investment managers do seek to capitalise on opportunities that inevitably emerge during times of heightened market volatility. Those opportunities have increased significantly since the end of March.
At the end of March 2025, our Dynamic Asset Allocation (DAA) strategy marginally favoured bonds over shares and cash. Within DAA’s shares allocation, we preferred Japanese shares over shares in the US and Australia. In fixed income, we were overweight in France, UK, Italy, and Australia and maintained underweight positions in Canadian, German, Japanese, and US bonds.
Our Socially Conscious Balanced option continues to hold a substantial allocation to the key unlisted asset classes, particularly property, infrastructure, and private equity. We have well-diversified portfolios of these assets that we expect will deliver strong, long-term returns, while reducing our members’ exposures to share market volatility.
Our Socially Conscious Balanced option is a certified responsible investment option.6
This option has been certified by the RIAA according to the strict operational and disclosure practices required under the Responsible Investment Certification Program. See the RIAA website for details.
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