Australian Cash Funds September 2024

CASH FUNDS PERFORMANCE

The RBA’s overnight cash rate target remained unchanged at 4.35% in September. 3-month BBSW rose 4bps to 4.43% while 6-month BBSW finished the month 9bps higher at 4.62%.  At the end of the month, cash futures contracts implied the actual cash rate would average 4.335% in October, 4.30% in November, 4.08% in February 2025 and 3.685% in May 2025. The actual cash rate at the end of September was 4.34%.

The benchmark Bloomberg AusBond Bank Bill index returned 0.36% over the month and 4.41% over the 12 months to the end of September.

CASH FUNDS

FUND NAME1m (%)3m (%)1y (%)3y (%)5y (%)
Adelaide Cash Management Trust0.190.612.321.440.90
IOOF Cash Management Trust0.311.064.492.851.88
Sandhurst Cash Common Fund0.190.622.301.350.84
UBS Cash0.361.174.452.871.82

ENHANCED CASH FUNDS PERFORMANCE

The Prime Value Enhanced Income Fund produced a return of 1.15% in September, making it the month’s highest-returning enhanced cash fund in the survey. The Realm Short Term Income Fund returned 0.52% to rank second while the Smarter Money Active Cash Fund ranked third with a return of 0.51%.

The returns of all three funds comfortably outperformed the 0.36% return produced by the Bloomberg AusBond Bank Bill Index in September. All three funds also exceeded the 0.43% returned by the AusBond FRN Index.

In terms of performance over the twelve months to the end of September, the Realm Short Term Income Fund retained the title of highest performing fund by producing a return of 7.29% for the period. Mutual’s Income Fund retained second place after it returned 6.82% while the Perpetual High Grade Treasury Fund retained third place with a return of 6.32%.

The above-mentioned funds all outperformed the Bank Bill Index and the FRN Index over this period. The Bloomberg AusBond Bank Bill and FRN indices returned 4.41% and 5.73% respectively over the 12-month period to the end of September.


ENHANCED CASH FUNDS

FUND NAMEASX
mFund
1m (%)3m (%)1y (%)3y (%)5y (%)
AMP Capital Managed Treasury0.371.204.742.961.98
Antares Income FundANT010.491.566.183.722.83
Australian Ethical Cash Trust0.401.285.032.991.99
BT Wholesale Enhanced Cash0.391.255.233.252.48
Dimensional Short Term Fixed Interest0.361.114.432.871.90
Fiducian Capital Safe0.361.184.56-0.45-0.07
IOOF MultiMix Cash Enhanced Trust0.421.295.353.082.28
Legg Mason Western Asset Conservative Income Fund0.491.415.443.192.23
Mutual Income Fund0.461.516.823.983.07
Henderson Cash Enhanced Trust0.421.375.503.052.41
Perpetual High Grade Treasury0.441.396.323.823.02
Prime Value Enhanced Income Fund1.152.915.572.521.87
Realm Short Term Income FundRLM020.521.647.294.363.60
Sandhurst Strategic Income A0.431.205.423.122.31
Smarter Money Active Cash Fund0.511.336.003.452.59
UBS Cash Plus0.401.355.033.122.13
Vanguard Cash Reserve0.371.154.502.841.79
Vanguard Cash Plus0.411.464.942.761.88
Bloomberg AusBond Bank 0+Y TR AUD0.361.114.412.821.81

*End of September 2024. Return in AUD after fees.