ASX Core Strategy with Ryan Riedler

Joining in 2025, Ryan Riedler has played a key role in establishing our Australian Shares Core Strategy (ASX Core Strategy). This strategy is designed to complement the Fund’s existing Australian shares capabilities. Over time, this could grow into a multibillion-dollar investment and become an important part of our Australian share portfolio.

Can you tell us about your background and what brought you to CBUS?

I joined CBUS as Head of ASX Core Strategy after almost 14 years at Cooper Investors, where I held senior portfolio management roles. What drew me to CBUS was the prospect of building a new internal Australian large-cap strategy from the ground up. It’s rare to have that opportunity with such a well-resourced team and a clear focus on delivering strong long-term outcomes for members.

What is the ASX Core Strategy?

It’s a dedicated in-house investment team managing a portfolio of large capitalisation Australian listed companies. The strategy is benchmarked to the S&P/ASX 100 Accumulation Index (Adjusted for Franking Credits). However, the team can also look more broadly across the ASX 200 and selected New Zealand listed companies (NZX 50) where we see good long-term opportunities.

How does it work?

Our team takes an active investment approach. That means we undertake in-depth company research and carefully make decisions about where to invest based on factors such as company quality, earnings potential, management/board strength, industry trends and the broader economic environment. Responsible investing and engagement is also integral to assessing the sustainability of a business, which is critical to our long-term investment approach.

The final portfolio invests in 40 to 55 companies. There is a strong focus on managing risk through portfolio construction. Given the strategy focuses primarily on large-cap Australian companies, the portfolio may include investments in companies such as Commonwealth Bank, BHP, Macquarie Group and Wesfarmers.

Why is engagement important?

One of the key advantages of the ASX Core Strategy is the ability to engage directly with the companies we invest in. We meet with management teams, speak with company directors and visit operations on site. In doing so, we build a clearer understanding of company performance as well as how are positioned for the future. For members, these insights can support stronger investment decisions.

Why are we bringing more investment strategies in-house?

We have been increasing the amount of members’ money managed internally since 2017. Managing more investments in-house can give the Fund greater control, deeper knowledge of the assets it invests in and the ability to build long-term relationships with the companies in members’ portfolios.

It can also help reduce costs. From 2018 to 30 June 2026, this approach has contributed to more than $1.5 billion[1] in investment fee and cost savings for members. Keeping costs down matters because lower investment costs can help more of the Fund’s investment returns flow through to members over time.

What it means for your super

The ASX Core Strategy is one way we are continuing to evolve how we invest. By combining in-house expertise, active research, direct company engagement and a disciplined focus on costs, the strategy aims to help deliver strong long-term returns.

¹ The cumulative savings are estimated for each financial year from FY18 to FY26 and summed. The approach employed is to multiply the annual average size of the Growth (MySuper) option by the reduction in investment fees for each year relative to FY17.