Australia’s leading investment experts came together to share their insights into the current state of markets at ASFA’s Investment Summit 2026 in Sydney on August 27. Among the wide-ranging topics of conversation, ASFA head of research Ross Clare identified two themes that grabbed everyone’s attention: sports as an asset class, and the role AI will play in institutional investing.
Owning a sports team was once seen as an exercise in ego and excess, no different to purchasing a luxury yacht. However, as markets evolve and super funds look for new ways to diversify, some experts are making the case for more strategic investment into our favourite pastimes.
Last week, several of Australia’s leading investment experts came together at the Art Gallery of NSW to where they were welcomed to Investment Summit 2026 by ASFA CEO Mary Delahunty and invited to share their insights with guests.
Read Mary’s full speech to Investment Summit 2026 here.
In a panel lead by Equip Super CEO Luke Symons, experts Holly Ransom (CEO Emergent Global) and Sandra Sweeney (Sports Practice Lead, Deloitte) discussed the possible role sports can play in portfolios.
Historically, the panel noted, opportunities for Australians to invest into this sector have been limited and super funds have instead opted simply to sponsor teams or venues as part of their marketing.
But with thousands of Australians eagerly attending sports events or watching at home each week, many funds are now looking more strategically at the sector as a means to generate profits and access new markets.
First movers, the panel said, will be most likely to generate the best returns from this untapped market, but the path forward isn’t clear cut.
Institutional investors still face considerable barriers to entry in the form of strict governance and the potential reputational risks posed by individual athletes’ behaviour. This makes ownership of sports teams difficult for some funds.
Instead, institutional investors should consider other ways to gain exposure to the sector – for instance, investing in sporting precincts or technology companies.
Additionally, the panel noted that women’s sports still appear to be undervalued as sporting federations and clubs have been skittish about investing into women’s teams on their own.
Artificial intelligence remains a real point of contention
Arguably the biggest theme of the day-long Summit was the role artificial intelligence (AI) will play – both in investment portfolios and as a tool in daily operations.
On the investment side, several speakers noted that AI stocks may be overvalued. However, the larger players in this industry are mostly backed by big tech companies and aren’t highly geared.
As a result, falling markets and financial contagion are unlikely to pose a significant risk.
On the operational side, the consensus was that super funds should use AI to automate the ‘dull’, basic investment work and to continue checking that the AI systems remain effective and fit-for-purpose.
Only once these basic duties have been successfully automated should funds begin looking to layer their systems.