Core Viewpoint - Canada is leveraging its pension fund industry to enhance investment in the U.S., with potential for significant growth in future investments [1] Group 1: Investment Potential - The Canadian pension fund industry has already invested over $1 trillion in the U.S. [1] - There is an expectation for annual growth in investments by an additional $100 billion or more [1]

Core Insights - Legal Super has emerged as the best-performing growth superannuation option for the past financial year, achieving a 12.9% annual return [1] - Following closely is Vanguard with an 11.8% return, while Colonial First State and Australian Retirement Trust both recorded 11.2% [1] - The annual ranking was published by research firm Chant West, which defines "growth options" as superannuation products with 61% to 80% allocated to growth assets [1] Performance Summary - Legal Super MySuper Balanced: 12.9% [2] - Vanguard Super SaveSmart Growth: 11.8% [2] - Colonial First State FirstChoice Growth: 11.2% [2] - Australian Retirement Trust Balanced: 11.2% [2] - NGS Super Diversified (MySuper): 11.2% [2] - smartMonday Balanced Growth: 11.1% [2] - AMP Future Directions Balanced: 11.0% [2] - UniSuper Growth: 11.0% [2] - Aware Super Balanced: 10.9% [2] - Brighter Super My Super: 10.9% [2] Market Drivers - Legal Super's CEO, Luke Symons, attributes the fund's success to strong performance in the U.S. market, employing strategies such as risk-controlled portfolios and active allocation in mid-cap tech stocks [3] - The median return for growth superannuation options was 10.5%, an increase from 9.1% in the previous financial year [3] - Strong performances in both international and Australian stocks, which recorded returns of 13.7%, and double-digit returns from infrastructure investments contributed to overall market gains [3] Asset Allocation Insights - International stocks constitute the largest portion of growth superannuation portfolios, approximately 31%, with about 70% being unhedged investments [6] - The depreciation of the Australian dollar has significantly boosted returns, with unhedged international stock returns reaching 18.6% [6] - Non-listed property is expected to rebound in the 2024-25 financial year, with returns projected between 2% and 5% [6] Long-term Performance Outlook - Hostplus leads the balanced option category with an average annual return of 8.3%, followed by Australian Retirement Trust at 8.2% and AustralianSuper at 8.0% [7] - Despite a cumulative growth of over 30% in the past three years, this performance should not be considered the norm [7] - The long-term goal for growth superannuation is to outperform inflation by 3.5 percentage points, equating to an annual return of around 6% [7] - AMP's chief economist Shane Oliver suggests that after three consecutive years of 9-10% growth, returns may revert to a more sustainable range of 6-7%, especially given high stock market valuations [7]

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Investment Rating - The report indicates a potential growth estimate for Korea below 2.0% from 2026 onwards, highlighting the urgency for structural reforms [5][26]. Core Insights - Korea is facing significant demographic challenges, with a fertility rate that fell to 0.75 in 2024, the lowest in the world, and a projected halving of the workforce by 2065 [7][9]. - The new government's commitment to structural reform is emphasized, with a focus on long-term solutions rather than short-term fixes [7][26]. - The pension reform legislated for the first time in 18 years aims to improve the financial sustainability of the pension fund in response to a rapidly aging population [26][32]. Summary by Sections Demographic Trends - Korea's total population began to decline in 2025 due to the fastest dropping fertility rate globally [9]. - The fertility rate has shown a slight rebound in 2024, providing a window of opportunity to support critical age groups [15][16]. Economic Reforms - The new government under President JM Lee is prioritizing economic recovery and addressing low birth rates as key agenda items [59]. - Labor market reforms are necessary to address dualism, gender wage gaps, and strict working hour regulations [71]. Pension and Consumption - The income replacement ratio is forecasted to fall to 40% by 2028, which is below the OECD recommended level [32][34]. - As aging accelerates, the number of pension recipients is expected to outpace contributors by 2047, impacting household consumption [44][45]. Capital Market Reforms - The government plans to mitigate the "Korea discount" through capital market and governance reforms, including changes to corporate transactional rules [72][74]. - The Commercial Code amendment bill is on a fast track for approval, aiming to enhance corporate governance and shareholder returns [78][79].

Group 1 - The second meeting of the China-Europe Financial Working Group was held in Brussels, Belgium, on May 13-14, focusing on global economic uncertainties and macroeconomic conditions [1] - Discussions included financial stability, banking and insurance regulation, and the development of pension funds and leasing companies [1] - Constructive discussions were held on emerging areas such as sustainable finance, cross-border data flow, and the construction of cross-border payment systems [1] Group 2 - A roundtable meeting for China-Europe financial institutions took place concurrently, where financial institutions provided professional advice on digital transformation and fintech innovation [1] - There was extensive communication regarding specific requests to optimize market access and promote business innovation [1] - All parties agreed to establish a regular communication mechanism to jointly promote deeper and broader financial cooperation between China and Europe [1]