The top 10 super funds that beat Trump's tariff terror
But the data also reveals the funds that 'Trump-ed' the rest as fear of the potential tariffs took hold – shares fell a confronting 8 per cent-plus from March's top to its close and bottom.
Leading the 10 Aussie balanced super funds to shake off the rout most effectively were HostPlus (Balanced), NGS Super (Diversified MySuper) and Australian Food Super (Balanced) – all three managed to contain losses for members to just 1.4 per cent.
First Super (Balanced), AMP SuperDirections (Diversified Balanced), Bendigo SmartStart (Balanced Wholesale Fund) and CareSuper (Balanced) kept the month's falls to only 1.5 per cent.
And Mercer Super Trust (Mercer Select Growth), MLC MasterKey Business Super (MLC Balanced) and Colonial First State (First Choice – CFS Moderate) preserved all but 1.6 per cent of balances.
Those are impressive defensive results; we will learn how these funds fared amid the April low and recovery when the individual fund figures are finalised, shortly.
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But the thing to realise is that returns could forge higher again this month. Since that April 7 low, the ASX 200 is up more than an astonishing 14 per cent.
This is precisely why you don't panic and sell when markets have had a big, extreme reaction to a geopolitical, global medical (yep, the pandemic) or economic event: that initial moment is likely to be the worst time to do so.
We are also well above – more than 5 per cent – trading levels just before Liberation Day (still below the high set on February 14 though). Only a portion of that rebound is captured in the latest super data.
As of Friday, shares are also on an eight-day winning streak. But it's not over yet… the tariffs are only on pause.
And in a further blow to Australia, in the president's sights most recently is film and entertainment, with imports in that industry now in line for 100 per cent tariffs. Investors – and super members – should prepare themselves for ongoing volatility.
SuperRating's Kirby Rappell says: 'Setting and sticking to a long-term strategy remains the best approach to achieving long-term success, and we encourage any member thinking of changing their strategy to seek advice from their fund or a trusted financial adviser.'
Hear hear.
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Sydney Morning Herald
5 minutes ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Sydney waterfront dining: Felons Seafood restaurant at Manly Wharf serves four choices of fish and chips, mud crab and more
The views are stunning, the fish are jumping, but something's missing from this new waterside restaurant. August 12, 2025 , register or subscribe to save articles for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. 1 / 11 Felons Seafood's location, right on the water on Manly Wharf's East Esplanade, is an open invitation for a long lunch. Edwina Pickles 2 / 11 Northern Territory mud crab in a warm, South-East Asian-style black pepper sauce. Edwina Pickles 3 / 11 Choose from four different fish for the traditional fish and chips. Edwina Pickles 4 / 11 Potato scallops are fancified with a cool, herby blue-swimmer crab remoulade. Edwina Pickles 5 / 11 Edwina Pickles 6 / 11 Felons Seafood is the next step in Manly Wharf domination for the Artemus Group. Edwina Pickles 7 / 11 Queensland coral trout cooked in the Josper oven. Edwina Pickles 8 / 11 Buttermilk soft serve. Edwina Pickles 9 / 11 Edwina Pickles 10 / 11 Edwina Pickles 11 / 11 Edwina Pickles 13.5 /20 Seafood $$$ $ It's quite an undertaking for a brewery to step into the world of demi-fine dining, but here's Felons Seafood, the next step in Manly Wharf domination for the Artemus Group (the developers behind popular Brisbane dining precinct Howard Smith Wharves). It started with Felons Brewery – a fun, large-scale brewpub with views across the water on the West Esplanade, and continues with this restaurant, which opened in June and is overseen by chefs Corey Costelloe (owner of Marrickville neighbourhood bistro 20 Chapel) and Luke Bourke ( The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 's current Young Chef of the Year). The pair, who spent a decade together working at Rockpool Bar & Grill in Sydney, have co-created a menu focused on responsibly caught fish, treated with respect and care. The location, right on the water on Manly Wharf's East Esplanade, is an open invitation for a long lunch. Inside, a dining room of neutrals and rattan, offset by touches of navy. Floor-to-ceiling wood-framed French windows wrap around the restaurant, waiting to be opened in warmer months to let in the sea breeze. Outside, tables hug the perimeter of the restaurant with big blue umbrellas up during the day, and gas heaters at night. Choose from four different fish for the traditional fish and chips. Edwina Pickles This is a deep dive into the seafood culture that once defined the Aussie coast, combined with strong Mediterranean sensibilities. Nothing is overly embellished, and the fish takes pride of plate. Potato scallops are fried to deeply golden and crisp, fancified with a cool, herby blue-swimmer crab remoulade. A bouncy Mooloolaba king prawn cocktail is served on a bed of shredded lettuce dressed in a classic Marie Rose sauce, served with a side of buttered brown bread. Fun with a tropical fruit-forward Galaxy Haze pale ale. There are a few menu items that make use of Felons' beer range, but it's more of a subtle taster than a schooner in your face. The traditional fish and chips feature a choice of four fish, including the classic dusky flathead and (my pick) spangled emperor. The goujon (or tail end) is fried in a crisp lager batter until strawberry-blonde and served on a bed of tallow-fried, skin-on chips with tartare sauce. Order the mignonette salad on the side, all sharp corners and mustard-bitey, or the green Greek salad – three types of cucumber, two types of capsicum, green olives, toasted sunflower seeds, soft feta and a dusting of oregano. A beautiful echo of a proper fishing town chipper. Northern Territory mud crab in a warm, South-East Asian-style black pepper sauce. Edwina Pickles The food is good. Great, even, at times. Look at that delicate fillet of Queensland coral trout cooked in the Josper oven, the skin seared until crisp and the flesh just-set. It's served simply with aioli, romesco sauce and a wedge of lemon. Then there's the Northern Territory mud crab bathing in a warm, South-East Asian-style black pepper sauce dotted with crisp-fried curry leaves, and a stack of flaky roti tucked in among the legs and claws. The technical prowess on the plate is undeniable. It's just a shame it's let down by inexperienced waitstaff who give the strong impression they'd rather be anywhere else on the planet than serving tables. Queensland coral trout cooked in the Josper oven. Edwina Pickles There's a lot of rushing about and plenty of staff, as far as I can see, but not a lot of friendliness or practical care when it comes to the basics. I'll probably go to my grave, for instance, wondering why our waitress chooses to place that $90 crab, not on the table, but on the spare chair on top of my coat and bag. Or why, on the same visit, we're seated outside at night in the middle of winter without asking where we might be comfortable. Sure, a few strong floor members are doing their best, but it's a big ship to steer when the majority of your crewmates are inexperienced. If you can see past the service, the food really is worth a look. Order a dozen pristine, fresh-shucked rock oysters with plenty of brine and a side of Baker Bleu bread and salty butter. Don't bother ordering anything by the glass (the danger of not being able to order a follow-up glass is clear and present), but do consider a bottle of crisp white wine like the Kir-Yianni Assyrtiko – just the right amount of crispness and pear fruitiness. Go hard on the whole fish and the snacks, and end by sharing the unapologetically tart buttermilk soft serve sweetened with a drizzle of bittersweet stout caramel. Consider walking, not running, and making some time for a long lunch during the warmer months. Atmosphere: Sunny, bougie-casual and family friendly Go-to dishes: Black pepper crab ($90); traditional fish and chips ($28-36); potato scallop ($28); buttermilk soft serve ($14) Drinks: A neat selection of Felons beers on tap and a surprisingly hefty wine selection for a restaurant opened by a brewery Cost: About $200 for two, excluding drinks Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can't pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide. Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox. Sign up
Sky News AU
5 minutes ago
- Sky News AU
Anthony Albanese's Palestine stand the latest low in US-Australia relationship after Labor's repeated attacks on Donald Trump
The state of the relationship between President Donald J. Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is not only strained - it is nearly non-existent. The diplomatic coldness that now exists between the leaders of two long-standing allied nations is largely the result of political miscalculation on Mr Albanese's part. Now that Trump is in his second term, with control of the White House and a renewed mandate from the American people, Mr Albanese finds himself in the awkward position of needing a meeting with a man he publicly insulted and who, to this point, has declined even to meet him once. In 2017, Mr Albanese admitted that Trump 'scares me', while in 2020 Australia's now-ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd called Trump 'the most destructive American president in history'. These lines may have played well in left-wing media circles, but they were short-sighted. At the time, Mr Albanese likely assumed Trump's political relevance would fade after the 2020 election. Like many global progressives, he misunderstood Trump not just as a person but as a political force. He failed to grasp that Trump's movement had roots in widespread discontent with globalism, political elitism, and unchecked bureaucracy - forces that would return Trump to the White House in 2024 with even stronger resolve than before. The diplomatic cost of that miscalculation is now concrete. In April 2025, the US imposed a 10 per cent baseline 'reciprocal tariff' on most Australian goods, effectively overriding the near-zero-rate access Australia enjoyed under the AUSFTA. By early June, Australian steel and aluminum exports faced a 50 per cent tariff, up from the exemption status under Trump's first term. Trump's tariffs have the potential to wreak havoc on Australia's economy. The US is the fifth largest partner destination for Australian goods exports, which totalled almost $24 billion in 2024. Compounding the pressure, the US has floated tariffs as high as 200 per cent on pharmaceuticals, raising alarm because Australia's pharmaceutical exports alone were worth $2.1 billionlast year. The Albanese government had hoped its longstanding alliance and trade surplus with the US would earn it favourable consideration, but those hopes have been dashed. The White House refused to exempt Australia from the steel and aluminum tariffs, even rejecting a proposal that offered Australia's critical minerals as leverage. Australia wants concessions. But Mr Albanese is approaching a president who neither forgets slights nor sees value in rewarding a leader who went out of his way to insult him. Now the Australian Prime Minister has defied the US and Israel to recognise Palestine, a declaration that will only deepen the tensions between Canberra and Washington DC. In the transactional world of Trump diplomacy, respect is currency and Mr Albanese has none to spend. 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If Mr Albanese wants to secure tariff relief and avoid being shut out of defense cooperation upgrades, he must first earn Trump's respect. That may involve a public acknowledgment that past rhetoric was inappropriate, or at least a strong, unequivocal signal that Australia is ready to deal on equal terms. It will also require outreach to Trump-aligned US lawmakers and key administration officials, who can serve as intermediaries in building a strong relationship between the two leaders. But more than anything, it will require humility - something in short supply among leaders who have spent years publicly criticising Trump. Ultimately, repairing the diplomatic freeze between Trump and Mr Albanese will come down to respect and readiness to act in the national interest. Mr Albanese failed to understand President Trump and dismissed the political movement he represents. The PM now finds himself asking for favours from a man who has no reason to grant them. It's a cautionary tale of ideology blinding leadership, and a lesson that others in the international community would do well to learn. Kristin Tate is a US-based writer. She pens a weekly column for The Messenger focused on federal spending and has written three books, the most recent of which is titled 'The Liberal Invasion of Red State America'. She is a contributor for Sky News and appears weekly to discuss US politics
AU Financial Review
5 minutes ago
- AU Financial Review
ASX 200 LIVE: ASX to slip, Wall St awaits July CPI data, reporting on Tuesday: Life360, SGH, Seven West Media
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