MySuper Balanced Growth returned 9.46% to 30 June 2026
HESTA added about $10 billion in savings and investment returns to members’ accounts over the 2025/26 financial year. The $105 billion fund’s MySuper Balanced Growth option returned 9.46% for the year to 30 June 2026.
Most of HESTA’s more than one million members are invested in MySuper Balanced Growth. Meanwhile, the next largest option by funds managed, High Growth, returned 11.09%.
For a member who started with $80,000 in MySuper Balanced Growth, HESTA estimated investment returns of about $7,568 by 30 June 2026. That figure shows the direct effect of the 2025/26 result on retirement balances.
Balanced Growth over 10 years
Balanced Growth has now posted four straight years of annual returns above 9%. Over the 10 years to 30 June 2026, the option averaged 8.29% a year.
According to HESTA, Balanced Growth ranked in the top quartile over both five and 10 years to 31 May 2026. Over the same decade, a member who started with $40,000 would likely have received about $48,719 in investment returns by 30 June 2026.
Members already in retirement also recorded solid gains in 2025/26. HESTA’s Retirement Income Stream Balanced Growth returned 10.81%, while Retirement Income Stream Conservative returned 7.04%.
Sonya Sawtell-Rickson
HESTA Chief Investment Officer Sonya Sawtell-Rickson pointed to resilient global sharemarkets as a key driver of the year’s performance. She said the portfolio stayed well positioned through a volatile period in markets.
“Our considered, diversified approach helped us deliver a strong financial year result for our more than one million members amid a challenging geopolitical environment,” Ms Sawtell-Rickson said.
She also pointed to active risk management as markets moved during 2025/26. HESTA kept backing healthcare, housing, climate solutions and artificial intelligence as inflation and geopolitical uncertainty persisted.
Fee cuts from 1 July 2026
Alongside the returns, HESTA continued to cut member costs. In 2025, the fund reduced investment fees across most of its Ready-Made options.
From 1 July 2026, HESTA cut insurance fees by an average of 12% across all cover types. The change formed part of a broader package aimed at making cover more accessible and affordable.
HESTA CEO Debby Blakey linked the 2025/26 investment performance with the fund’s focus on member value. The returns and fee reductions came as HESTA worked to improve outcomes for members in both accumulation and retirement.
