SMSFs surging into infrastructure, report shows


Infrastructure is the “new kid on the block” when it comes to the top 10 list of the securities most held by self-managed superannuation funds (SMSFs), a new study from SuperConcepts has shown.
For the first time, Transurban popped into the top 10 list of most held stocks by SMSFs, and then at the last moment dropped to position 11 as researchers at SuperConcepts compiled the final trends in its SMSF Investment Patterns for June 2018 report.
Transurban was recently successful in buying a 51 per cent stake in the Government’s $17-billion Westconnex project and already owns seven of Sydney's nine toll roads.
“This is fascinating but not surprising because SMSF investors have always struggled to get into infrastructure, which has so far been beyond their reach,” said Phil LaGreca, SuperConcepts executive manager of SMSF Technical and Strategic Services.
“Infrastructure is an attractive investment for SMSFs because they typically provide long-term returns, and we’re seeing that recognised by others such as the Canada Pension Fund which also just invested in Westconnex.
“The prevailing attitude is ‘why buy a product or service when you can buy the Infrastructure?’”
SuperConcepts undertakes a quarterly analysis of its SMSF client investments to get a closer insight into how SMSF trustees invest and to identify emerging investment trends.
The survey covers 2,600 funds, a sample of the SMSFs SuperConcepts administers and the investments they held at 30 June 2018.
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