To say 2019-20 was challenging for investors is putting it mildly. From the US-China trade wars and Brexit, to Australia’s catastrophic summer bushfires and the global COVID-19 pandemic, the seismic shocks just kept coming.
As we look back over the year that was, many challenges remain unresolved but the fallout, for Australian investors at least, is not as bad as many predicted. After the plunge in global sharemarkets at the height of the COVID panic in March, diversified superannuation funds look set to finish the year close to where they began.
According to Chant West, the median growth fund, which typically holds 61–80% in shares and other growth assets, was down just 1.1% in the year to May and is on track to finish the year line ball with where it began.
The table below shows the annual price returns for major markets and assets.
