Investment performance to 30 June 2025
CSC’s goal is to support our customers with a comfortable retirement by steadily growing super through resilient portfolios — helping members retire with greater confidence and less reliance on market conditions at retirement.
26 Aug 2025
Resilient performance through 2024–25
Investment performance remained strong over the financial year to 30 June 2025.
Through diversification across high-quality assets — including innovative businesses typically not easily or cost-effectively accessible to smaller investors — CSC continues to meet return objectives1 aligned to different stages of working life.
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The Aggressive option, designed for people earlier in their working life, generated an 11.5% return the 2024-25 financial year.
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The MySuper Balanced investment option, designed for our specific customer base, delivered a 10.6% return for the 2024-25 period.
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And the Income Focused option, designed for those with a lower appetite for capital-value variation, delivered 7.3%.
Shown above: PSSap results. For scheme-specific investment performance, go to csc.gov.au/performance.
Delivering above-inflation returns
CSC’s primary investment objective is to maximise long-term, real (that is, above inflation) returns for customers, with a target of 3.5% per annum over ten years for the Default, Balanced and MySuper Balanced options, while keeping risk to an acceptable level (defined as a probability of loss in no more than five years out of 20).
This investment objective is designed to provide adequacy2 in retirement for our average customer. The investment returns for the 10 years to 30 June 2025 for the Default, Balanced and MySuper Balanced options of the various schemes exceeded their investment objectives despite historical highs in Australian inflation rates3.
CSC's investment options (Balanced, Aggressive and Income-focused) have all passed the APRA annual performance test (using net 10-year return to 30 June 2025).
Table 1. Investment returns to 30 June 2025
CSC’s Default, Balanced and MySuper Balanced scheme options
| AUM Billion | 1 year % | 3 years % p.a. | 5 years % p.a. | 7 years % p.a. | 10 years % p.a. | 15 years % p.a. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Inflation | 2.1 | 4.0 | 4.4 | 3.3 | 2.8 | 2.6 | |
| Investment option | |||||||
| CSS Default | 0.83 | 10.8 | 9.8 | 8.7 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.8 |
| PSS Default | 28.02 | 10.6 | 9.6 | 8.5 | 7.0 | 6.9 | 7.7 |
| MilitarySuper Balanced | 12.57 | 10.7 | 9.6 | 8.5 | 7.0 | 6.9 | 7.2 |
| PSSap MySuper Balanced | 22.77 | 10.6 | 9.6 | 8.5 | 6.9 | 6.9 | 7.7 |
| ADF MySuper Balanced |
2.24 |
10.5 | 9.4 | 8.4 | 6.8 | ||
| Target return | 5.6 | 7.5 | 7.9 | 6.8 | 6.3 | 6.1 |
Note: Performance is presented net of fees and taxes. Investment performance is subject to market volatilities and past performance is not an indicator of future performance.
Smooth investment strategy awarded
CSC’s investment approach continues to stand out for its strength and consistency. We’ve been recognised by SuperRatings for navigating market ups and downs better than many other funds—earning multiple nominations for the Smooth Ride Award since its launch in 2020 and winning in 2024 for strong risk-adjusted performance. In 2025, CSC was again named a finalist.
Our premixed investment options consistently deliver top-tier risk-adjusted returns4
2025 finalist and 2024 winner: Smooth Ride Award
Presented to the fund that has best weathered the ups and downs of the market while delivering strong outcomes, the Smooth Ride Award is selected by a judging panel of academics, business executives, entrepreneurs and innovators. The award is a reflection of CSC’s investment strategy of prioritising resilience within its investment portfolios.
Learn more about CSC’s award-winning investment strategy.
What are risk adjusted returns and why is it important for retirement planning?
When comparing super options, it’s not just about how far you go—it’s how you get there.
Two drivers might reach the same destination, but one takes a smooth, steady route while the other speeds and swerves through risk.
Risk-adjusted returns show how effectively an investment delivers results while managing the risks taken to achieve them. CSC has consistently been recognised for doing just that—delivering strong outcomes while carefully managing members’ retirement savings. It means the journey with CSC is smoother than many other funds.
[1] How We Perform – CSC’s investment return objectives.
[2] ‘Adequacy’ is defined by the Australian Superannuation Fund Association (ASFA) as a ‘comfortable standard’ which accounts for post-retirement cost-of-living adjustments.
Source: ASFA: The comfortable retirement standard allows retirees to maintain a good standard of living in their post work years. It accounts for daily essentials, such as groceries, transport and home repairs, as well as private health insurance, a range of exercise and leisure activities and the occasional restaurant meal. Importantly it enables retirees to remain connected to family and friends virtually – through technology – and in person, with an annual domestic trip and an international trip once every seven years.
[3] Consumer Price Index, Australia, June Quarter 2025 | Australian Bureau of Statistics
[4] Risk-adjusted returns are calculated by the Sharpe Ratio. It calculates the excess return (the return above the risk-free rate) relative to the standard deviation (a measure of risk or volatility) of an investment. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates a more favourable risk-return trade-off, meaning the investment is providing higher returns for each unit of risk.
[5] SuperRatings' results for the period ending 30 June 2025 for the SR50 Balanced (60-76) Index
[6] SuperRatings' results for the period ending 30 June 2025 for the SR50 Growth (77-90) Index
[7] SuperRatings' results for the period ending 30 June 2025 for the SR50 Capital Stable (20-40) Index