Global market gains deliver healthy growth for Rest members
Rest's default Growth option returned 9.22% over the 12 months to 31 December 2025 - the third consecutive calendar year of positive returns.
Rest said the 2025 return was underpinned by the strong performance of Australian and international listed share markets.
The super fund said this latest result contributes to the Growth option's solid long-term annualised return of 7.31% over the 10-year period to 31 December 2025, which exceeded the investment return objective of 5.83% over the same time period.
This continues the Growth option's long-term track record of consistently exceeding its CPI+3% investment return objective over 10-year periods, it said.
Rest's High Growth option and its RIAA-certified Sustainable Growth option also benefited from the strong performance of share markets, returning 11.25% and 11.49% respectively for the 2025 calendar year.
Rest chief investment officer Michael Clancy says 2025 delivered another year of strong investment returns for members, with economic conditions largely playing out as Rest's investment team expected - with resilient but slowing economic growth, moderating inflation and higher-for-longer interest rates.
"Global share markets continued to be the leading drivers of investment performance in 2025. Markets responded positively to earnings strength, which supported company valuations, and several central banks eased monetary policy.
"It's great to deliver another year of healthy investment returns in 2025 for Rest's more than two million members. A return of 9.22% means a 30-year-old Rest member with $35,000 in their super would have added more than $3000 to their balance over the year.
"Strong investment returns over the short-term help support the delivery of our long-term investment return objectives, which are important given Rest's typical member is younger than most and decades away from retirement."
Clancy is also expecting the global economy to continue to grow in 2026, although numerous headwinds remain.
"Inflation, while improved, is proving sticky both in Australia and the US. The weakening labour market in the US has allowed the Federal Reserve to consider further rate cuts. In contrast, recent data in Australia has indicated a broad-based rise in price pressures.
"With household budgets under pressure and consumer confidence weakening, how central banks navigate inflation in 2026 will have a direct impact on Australian workers' wages, job security, and long-term retirement outcomes.
"The new year has just begun, but we've already seen that the geopolitical landscape remains uncertain. This, along with the strength of US demand and labour conditions, will influence the path back towards central bank inflation targets."
Clancy added that he believes the super fund's long-term, well-diversified and forward-looking investment approach puts it in good stead to continue to deliver its long-term investment return objectives.
"We'll continue to focus on investment opportunities that are informed by the long-term megatrends that we believe will shape society, economies and financial markets over the coming decades - decarbonisation, deglobalisation, demographics, digitalisation, and debt and central bank policy."
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