Register For Our Mailing List

Register to receive our free weekly newsletter including editorials.

Home / 529

Which shares and funds do SMSFs invest in?

SMSF trustees are a heterogeneous group, choosing the vehicle for their superannuation because it offers control and flexibility. Although SMSFs account for 25% of all super balances, only 1.1 million people are SMSF trustees while over 17 million people have a super account. While almost any investment is allowed in an SMSF, a top-level picture can be drawn showing what SMSF trustees invest in, despite variances in data sources.

For the most part, SMSFs are genuinely ‘self-managed’ because the majority of trustees make their own investment decisions. Where guided by advisers, use of platforms and managed funds is higher because advisers use these structures to facilitate their own administration, giving a consistent back-office experience.

Similar but important differences in SMSF data sources

There are three main sources for top-level SMSF data:

1. Australian Taxation Office (ATO)

The ATO is the regulator for the SMSF sector and collects data on asset allocation, as shown below. As SMSFs lodge returns with considerable delays, the data is often a couple of years old, and some categories are highly aggregated. For example, it is impossible to know how much SMSFs invest in global equities based on ATO data because ‘unlisted trusts’, ‘listed trusts’ and ‘other managed investments’ are lumped together. Nevertheless, ‘listed shares’ is easily the top category at 30.4%, followed by ‘cash and term deposits’ at 16.9%.

2. Investment Trends

Research firm Investment Trends dives into the data at source by asking online a large sample of SMSF trustees about their portfolio. In the 2023 SMSF Investor Report, ‘direct shares’ are also the largest asset class followed by cash, and a combination of structures such as managed funds, ETFs and LICs make up the third category.

3. Class Benchmark Report

Class is a software provider to SMSF administrators, and of the $875 billion in SMSFs, Class covers about $310 billion across 185,000 SMSFs and 350,000 members. There is therefore a good sample reflected in its annual Benchmark Report, but it is probably the top end. Their average SMSF holds $1.7 million in assets with an average of $900,000 per member.

Class data shows about 28% of SMSF assets are in Australian listed shares but unlike the other sources, the second largest asset class is direct property, pushing cash and term deposits as low as 15% in third place. Then come the group of managed funds, ETFs and unlisted trusts.

What does the data tell us?

According to Investment Trends, only 27% of SMSF trustees use an investment adviser. The main reasons given are that trustees want to control their own investments, they lack trust in advisers and want to avoid the cost. In every survey on why SMSFs are established, control tops the list, and other strong factors include confidence in achieving returns, transparency of investments and tax efficiency.

In other words, most SMSF trustees are comfortable in their own ability and financial literacy and prefer to avoid the cost of an investment adviser.

The end result is that SMSF trustees buy Australian shares and funds they are familiar with, and leave a decent amount in cash and term deposits for conservative investment allocation and liquidity access reasons. They know, for example, that in pension phase, they are obliged to pay minimum pensions which require some level of access to cash.

What shares do SMSF trustee Invest in?

One additional benefit of Class knowing the exact investments of its hundreds of thousands of users is that data is available by stock and fund, which the other providers do not offer. In this snapshot, we divide investments into four categories: a) direct domestic shares, b) direct global shares, c) managed funds and d) ETFs.

(The following charts are sourced from the Class Benchmark Report 2023).

a) Direct holdings of domestic equities

About two-thirds of all SMSFs in the sample hold some allocation to the Top 20 domestic shares listed below as at 30 June 2023. BHP and Woodside are the most popular, followed by the four major banks, Telstra, Wesfarmers, CSL and Macquarie. Note this is popularity by number but the right-hand column shows the dollar amount invested, with CBA at number 1 and CSL rising to number 3.

b) Direct holdings of global equities

Direct holding of global shares is much less common, comprising only 2.2% of SMSF assets and held by only 10% of funds. This number is often misunderstood because it does not show the extent of SMSF investment in global equities, as trustees normally invest indirectly through ETFs and managed funds.

But taking care to read these numbers correctly as direct holdings only, not via funds (and the percentages are ‘of international funds’, not ‘of total assets’), it is no surprise to see the tech giants of Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon and Apple at the top. These stocks have performed strongly in 2023 delivering astute rewards for many SMSFs.

c) Managed funds

Although ETFs receive a higher profile, managed funds occupy a significantly larger proportion of SMSF assets (12.9%) than ETFs (4.7%). And confirming the point made above that Australians use funds rather than direct investments, almost half of managed funds are international equities.

Showing how it established an early lead under the high-profile Kerr Neilson, Platinum remains the most common managed fund in SMSF portfolios. The Ardea and Janus Henderson funds may not be as well known to many SMSF trustees but are favoured by financial advisers for their broad market exposures, with a PIMCO bond fund and the large Magellan Global Fund (non-listed version) rounding out the Top 5. Note again that the right-hand column shows dollar amounts in managed funds, not all assets.

d) Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs)

Fast-growing as a sector with now almost $160 billion under management, ETFs are still the new kids on the block compared with other asset categories, but again, almost half represent global exposures.

Most popular among SMSFs that use ETFs are two Vanguard funds, Australian Shares (ASX:VAS) and Australia Property (ASX:VAP) but the major ETF providers – Vanguard, iShares, VanEck, BetaShares and Magellan - are all in the Top 10. Notable exceptions from the broad-cap market indexes are VanEck’s Global Quality (ASX:QUAL), BetaShares NASDAQ 100 (ASX:NDQ), Magellan Infrastructure (ASX:MICH) and BetaShares Cash (ASX:AAA). Most of the Top 10 popular funds are international.

SMSF trustees doing their own thing

Trustees select SMSFs for the high degree of control and they can hold almost anything that looks like an ‘investment’, such as collectibles, wine, art and cars. A report by SuperConcepts in 2019 showed its SMSFs held weird investments such as frozen semen, ATMs, vending machines, water rights, cattle and taxi plates.

However, Class data shows a concentration of over 85% of SMSF assets in five categories: Australian listed shares, direct property, cash and term deposits, managed funds and unlisted trusts. SMSFs show a home bias due to familiarity with the investments and the franking credits regime.

The data indicates that of the 1.1 million trustees with 610,000 funds, the majority are doing their own thing, if not picking the shares directly, then identifying the active or index investments to look after their retirement savings.

 

Graham Hand is Editor-At-Large for Firstlinks. This article is general information.

 

12 Comments
John Edwards
October 08, 2023

I’m curious about the number of trustees. I recently converted my SMSF from individual trustees to a corporate trustee. It’s a small additional cost, but much more flexible. It’d be interesting to see how many corporate trustees there are.

Sam Phillips
October 08, 2023

Very useful, thank you, Graham.

I have a question. With so many SMSF's remaining unadvised (as mentioned above), how does Class manage to collate their data? Is there a platform/system in place that us with SMSF's can use to manage and aggregate all data (including unlisted) without using an IFA or wealth group?

Is Class available to individuals?

Jane Abbott
October 08, 2023

All share trades are updated / downloaded to Class from your Trading Account, dividends, deposits, and payments from your bank account, It is all seamless and nothing Trustees really have to do.
We just have shares only (majority of list of shares above) so it all quite simple really. That’s gives me time to monitor our investments independently.

Iit is quite annoying when one reads about how of how difficult a SMSF is to run when there is Class to manage it all!

Joe
October 09, 2023

You can use an SMSF administration service without paying for advice. Mine uses Class software.

Mike
February 12, 2024

Can you please share your SMSF administration service provider name?

AlanB
October 07, 2023

Do how are we SMSF amateurs going performance wise against the pros? There was some financial advisor industry criticism a few years ago about our selections, but that seems to have quietened down. So we're probably doing embarrassingly well.

NKG
October 10, 2023

Fund Managers can be compared to their benchmark (by asset class), but unless each SMSF defines a benchmark per asset class upfront, it is difficult to understand how SMSFs did overall. There is also a selection bias if SMSF's self report, as the successful ones will, but the unsuccessful ones might not. The pros are still doing badly over longer time horizons as per the SPIVA Australia Mid-Year 2023. I use Sharesight and that allows benchmarking, so I use the Vanguard Growth Fund as my benchmark, so at least I know roughly how I am doing. Comparable over 5 years, less or more over shorter periods, but not so much out performance that I would manage my own money if I didn't enjoy it.

AlanB
October 11, 2023

NKG:
The ATO does an analysis of SMSF return on assets. ROA is calculated by comparing net earnings and assets at the beginning of the financial year to determine the percentage return on assets.
In 2020-21 the ROA for the whole population (total ROA) of SMSFs was 18.2%.
In 2020–21 the median ROA for SMSFs was 12.9%.
While it is not a direct comparison to APRA fund investment performance as the data inputs and methodology used are different, these do like reasonable if not impressive returns for us SMSF trustees.
Perhaps (to justify their MERs and high salaries), fund managers should be benchmarking themselves against SMSFs.
[p12 https://www.ato.gov.au/misc/downloads/pdf/qc71407.pdf]

SMSF Trustee
October 11, 2023

Nice try AlanB but 2020-21 was a strong year for financial markets and the median superfund return (growth option which is what most SMSFs compare with) was 18%.

This is the sort of approximstion and "not too bad" pseudo-analysis of SMSF returns that really annoys me. Many justify their SMSF saying that they return better than the professionals but hold the professional funds to a performance measurement standard that's 100 times more stringent than they apply to their own fund.

By all means use an SMSF (like I obviously do) for whatever reason, but don't do it because you want to kid yourself that you're smarter than the professionals and get better returns. Some might, but the rest are more honest about the pathetic way they work out their own performance. Daily valuations, proper allowance for cash flows and fees paid outside your fund to accountants etc would be a start.

Brian
October 05, 2023

I know from previous articles here that managed funds are much bigger than ETFs, but it's a big surprise to see the top 4. Platinum, which has been unpopular for many years, Ardea, who I've never heard of, Janus Henderson I know but the Tactical Income Fund ... nada ... and a PIMCO bond fund which has probably tanked recently. It's like an underground of managed funds while ETFs grab the headlines.

silvio fontana
October 10, 2023

agree, ETF's are my way of capturing a wide spread of blue chip investments encompassing all countries

Ramon Vasquez
October 05, 2023

Thank you Graham . Very Useful . Best wishes , Ramon .

 

Leave a Comment:

RELATED ARTICLES

SMSFs and COVID: the biggest trends in 5 charts

Navigating SMSF property compliance

What is happening with SMSFs? Part 2

banner

Most viewed in recent weeks

Finding the best income-yielding assets

With fixed term deposit rates declining and bank hybrids being phased out, what are the best options for investors seeking income? This goes through the choices, and the opportunities and risks involved.

What history reveals about market corrections and crashes

The S&P 500's recent correction raises concerns about a bear market. History shows corrections are driven by high rates, unemployment, or global shocks, and that there's reason for optimism for nervous investors today. 

Howard Marks: the investing game has changed

The famed investor says the rapid switch from globalisation to trade wars is the biggest upheaval in the investing environment since World War Two. And a new world requires a different investment approach.

Welcome to Firstlinks Edition 605 with weekend update

Trump's tariffs and China's retaliatory strike have sent the Nasdaq into a bear market with the S&P 500 not far behind. What are the implications for the economy and markets, and what should investors do now? 

  • 3 April 2025

Designing a life, with money to spare

Are you living your life by default or by design? It strikes me that many people are doing the former and living according to others’ expectations of them, leading to poor choices including with their finances.

World's largest asset manager wants to revolutionise your portfolio

Larry Fink is one of the smartest people in the finance industry. In his latest shareholder letter, the Blackrock CEO outlines his quest to become the biggest player in private assets and upend investor portfolios.

Latest Updates

Investment strategies

An enlightened dividend path

While many chase high yields, true investment power lies in companies that steadily grow dividends. This strategy, rooted in patience and discipline, quietly compounds wealth and anchors investors through market turbulence.

Investment strategies

Don't let Trump derail your wealth creation plans

If you want to build wealth over the long-term, trying to guess the stock market's next move is generally a bad idea. In a month where this might be more tempting than ever, here is what you should focus on instead.

Economics

Pros and cons of Labor's home batteries scheme

Labor has announced a $2.3 billion Cheaper Home Batteries Program, aimed at slashing the cost of home batteries. The goal is to turbocharge battery uptake, though practical difficulties may prevent that happening.

Investment strategies

Will China's EV boom end in tears?

China's EV dominance is reshaping global auto markets - but with soaring tariffs, overcapacity, and rising scrutiny, the industry’s meteoric rise may face a turbulent road ahead. Can China maintain its lead - or will it stall?

Investment strategies

REITs: a haven in a Trumpian world?

Equity markets have been lashed by Trump's tariff policies, yet REITs have outperformed. Not only are they largely unaffected by tariffs, but they offer a unique combination of growth, sound fundamentals, and value.

Shares

Why Europe is back on the global investor map

European equities are surging ahead of the U.S this year, driven by strong earnings, undervaluation, and fiscal stimulus. With quality founder-led firms and a strengthening Euro, Europe may be the next global investment hotspot.

Chalmers' disingenuous budget claims

The Treasurer often touts a $207 billion improvement in Australia's financial position. A deeper look at the numbers reveals something less impressive, caused far more by commodity price surprises than policy.

Fixed interest

Duration: Friend or foe in a defensive allocation?

Duration is back. After years in the doghouse, shifting markets and higher yields are restoring its role as a reliable diversifier and income source - offering defensive strength in today’s uncertain environment.

Sponsors

Alliances

© 2025 Morningstar, Inc. All rights reserved.

Disclaimer
The data, research and opinions provided here are for information purposes; are not an offer to buy or sell a security; and are not warranted to be correct, complete or accurate. Morningstar, its affiliates, and third-party content providers are not responsible for any investment decisions, damages or losses resulting from, or related to, the data and analyses or their use. To the extent any content is general advice, it has been prepared for clients of Morningstar Australasia Pty Ltd (ABN: 95 090 665 544, AFSL: 240892), without reference to your financial objectives, situation or needs. For more information refer to our Financial Services Guide. You should consider the advice in light of these matters and if applicable, the relevant Product Disclosure Statement before making any decision to invest. Past performance does not necessarily indicate a financial product’s future performance. To obtain advice tailored to your situation, contact a professional financial adviser. Articles are current as at date of publication.
This website contains information and opinions provided by third parties. Inclusion of this information does not necessarily represent Morningstar’s positions, strategies or opinions and should not be considered an endorsement by Morningstar.