Rest posts healthy returns following a positive end to 2025

By Newsdesk

January 08 2026
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Rest, one of Australia's largest profit-to-member superannuation funds, has reported impressive returns in its flagship MySuper Growth investment option for the year 2025. The fund is optimistic about the global economy's potential for continued expansion, despite the challenges posed by central bank policies and geopolitical uncertainties.

Rest posts healthy returns following a positive end to 2025

The MySuper Growth option delivered a robust 9.22% return over the 12 months leading up to 31 December 2025. This marks the third consecutive year of positive returns, driven primarily by the strong performance of both Australian and international share markets. This performance has bolstered the Growth option’s long-term annualised return to 7.31% over a decade, surpassing its investment return objective of 5.83% for the same period. This achievement underlines the Growth option's consistent success in exceeding its CPI+3% investment return objective over 10-year spans.

Rest's High Growth option and its RIAA-certified Sustainable Growth option also reaped the benefits of buoyant share markets, recording returns of 11.25% and 11.49% respectively for the 2025 calendar year.

Michael Clancy, Rest’s Chief Investment Officer, expressed satisfaction with the year's outcomes. "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," he stated. Clancy highlighted the significance of these results for Rest's members, adding, "It’s great to deliver another year of healthy investment returns in 2025 for Rest’s more than 2 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 $3,000 to their balance over the year."

Clancy noted that strong short-term investment returns are crucial for achieving long-term objectives, particularly as Rest’s typical member is younger and far from retirement. He anticipates continued global economic growth in 2026, albeit with obstacles. "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," Clancy remarked.

He further elaborated on the potential challenges for the year ahead, "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 geopolitical landscape remains a significant variable in the economic outlook. "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 observed.

Rest’s investment strategy is designed to withstand such uncertainties. "Rest’s long-term, well-diversified and forward-looking investment approach puts us in good stead to continue to deliver on our long-term investment return objectives," Clancy assured. He emphasised the fund's focus on investment opportunities aligned with long-term megatrends, "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."

As 2026 unfolds, Rest's strategic positioning and commitment to its investment principles seem well-suited to navigating the complexities of the global economic landscape, ensuring continued benefits for its members.

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