Multi-asset annual returns

For years investors have been taught that the more risk you take on, the greater the potential returns on your investment.

While this is generally true over the very long term, there will always be periods where greater risk will detract from returns – as happens when share markets are falling. This can create significant variations in returns from year to year.

Given the unpredictability of markets, diversifying your investments across shares, corporate debt, bonds, property and cash around the world, is crucial to delivering more reliable returns.

To illustrate this point, we have created the multi-asset sorter, which shows calendar-year returns for the major asset classes available to an Australian investor. Simply select your assets and use the slider to see performance across time.

Multi-asset sorter

SELECT
ASSET
  • Australian Equities
    S&P / ASX 200
  • Global Emerging Market Equities
    MSCI Emerging Markets A$ Unhedged
  • Australian Fixed Income
    Bloomberg AusBond Composite 0+Yr
  • Australian Property Trusts
    S&P / ASX 200 A-REIT
  • Cash
    Bloomberg AusBond Bank Bill
  • Global Equities
    MSCI World ex Australia A$ Unhedged
  • Australian Credit
    Bloomberg AusBond Credit 0+Yr
  • Global Fixed Income
    Bloomberg Global Aggregate A$ Hedged
  • Global High Yield
    Bloomberg Global High Yield A$ Hedged
  • Inflation
    ABS Consumer Price Index
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
42.2%
33.0%
55.3%
20.0%
15.0%
12.0%
33.1%
30.4%
43.0%
33.0%
25.6%
14.9%
61.1%
19.9%
11.4%
33.0%
49.3%
26.6%
14.3%
16.8%
27.1%
4.5%
28.0%
7.8%
29.6%
7.8%
23.2%
20.8%
18.9%
18.7%
12.0%
10.4%
11.6%
16.9%
28.0%
22.8%
24.2%
16.1%
10.7%
39.2%
9.3%
10.5%
23.1%
20.2%
15.6%
11.8%
13.2%
13.4%
3.9%
23.4%
5.7%
26.1%
1.3%
17.6%
12.7%
10.0%
17.1%
11.1%
8.3%
8.8%
14.6%
21.4%
16.8%
23.4%
6.8%
9.2%
37.0%
7.1%
9.1%
20.3%
13.8%
10.4%
3.3%
11.8%
11.8%
2.9%
19.4%
5.3%
17.2%
-1.1%
12.4%
12.2%
9.8%
6.6%
9.7%
6.7%
7.8%
8.9%
16.1%
12.5%
12.9%
6.6%
7.6%
9.2%
6.0%
7.4%
17.0%
9.0%
9.8%
3.0%
11.7%
9.0%
1.9%
18.6%
5.1%
3.5%
-6.7%
11.5%
11.2%
9.5%
5.0%
6.4%
6.2%
5.0%
6.6%
10.7%
7.9%
12.1%
3.5%
3.7%
8.0%
5.7%
5.0%
14.7%
7.3%
8.1%
2.6%
7.9%
5.7%
1.8%
11.9%
4.5%
3.4%
-9.7%
9.2%
10.7%
8.0%
1.9%
6.2%
6.1%
4.8%
4.9%
8.9%
6.6%
6.0%
3.2%
-24.6%
6.1%
4.7%
3.0%
9.9%
4.3%
7.3%
2.6%
5.2%
5.1%
1.6%
7.3%
3.5%
2.2%
-12.3%
6.8%
10.6%
5.1%
0.8%
5.8%
5.5%
2.9%
3.7%
7.1%
6.0%
4.4%
2.9%
-27.6%
3.5%
2.8%
-1.1%
9.7%
2.9%
5.6%
2.3%
3.8%
3.7%
1.5%
7.2%
1.4%
0%
-12.5%
5.3%
7.8%
1.5%
0.3%
2.7%
5.3%
-8.8%
3.0%
7.0%
5.8%
3.9%
2.9%
-38.4%
2.1%
1.6%
-6.0%
7.7%
2.7%
4.8%
1.7%
2.9%
3.7%
-2.8%
7.1%
0.9%
-1.5%
-12.6%
5.1%
5.6%
-3.0%
-1.2%
0.4%
3.1%
-14.5%
2.4%
5.6%
5.7%
3.3%
-2.1%
-41.2%
1.7%
-0.3%
-10.5%
4.0%
2.3%
2.7%
1.3%
2.1%
1.9%
-3.0%
1.8%
0.4%
-1.6%
-14.3%
4.1%
-0.3%
-20.6%
-5.6%
-18.1%
-9.6%
-27.1%
-0.2%
2.5%
2.8%
3.1%
-8.5%
-55.7%
0.7%
-0.4%
-19.2%
2.2%
2.0%
1.7%
-4.3%
1.5%
1.7%
-5.1%
1.5%
-4.6%
-2.9%
-20.5%
3.9%
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SLIDER