Generate Fund Performance - August 2026

Authors

Greg Smith, Investment Specialist

Published



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International Equities 




Fujikura was the strongest contributor, rising 31.9% after delivering an exceptional first-quarter result and materially upgrading its full-year outlook. Revenue increased 50% to ¥402 billion, while operating profit rose 155% to ¥104.8 billion and the operating margin expanded from 15.3% to 26.1%. Growth was concentrated in Fujikura’s information and communications business, where revenue increased 84% and operating profit nearly tripled to ¥98 billion as demand strengthened for optical components, fibre cables and engineering services used in artificial intelligence data centres. The company also reported improved visibility on several large optical-component orders, including a new data-centre project outside the United States. This prompted management to lift full-year revenue guidance from ¥1.46 trillion to ¥1.76 trillion and operating profit guidance by 39% to ¥432 billion. The result provided further evidence that artificial intelligence investment is extending beyond semiconductors into the high-speed connectivity required inside data centres. Fujikura is supporting this growth with a previously announced investment of up to ¥300 billion to increase optical-fibre and cable capacity to as much as three times current levels across Japan and the United States.


Netflix gained 13.0%, supported by renewed confidence in the company’s advertising opportunity. The most important development during August was Netflix’s announcement that commitments secured through its 2026 United States advertising upfront had nearly doubled from the previous year. Demand was broad across entertainment and live programming, with game sponsorships for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup already sold out and most available in-game advertising inventory committed. The news built on a solid operating backdrop: second-quarter revenue increased 13.4% to US$12.56 billion, driven by membership growth, pricing and higher advertising revenue, while members watched more than 97 billion hours of content during the first half of 2026. Netflix continues to expect advertising revenue to roughly double to around US$3 billion this year. With subscription growth becoming more mature, the August announcement strengthened the case that advertising, pricing and live programming can become increasingly important sources of growth.


Nvidia rose 10.0%, with almost all of the month’s gain occurring after another exceptionally strong earnings result late in August. Quarterly revenue more than doubled to US$96.2 billion, ahead of expectations, while data-centre revenue increased 117% to US$89.0 billion. Nvidia forecast approximately US$108 billion of revenue for the current quarter, also above market expectations and without assuming any data-centre computing revenue from China. Management went further than usual by forecasting revenue growth of around 70% in the following financial year, compared with the 40% growth expected by the market before the result. The strong guidance reassured investors that spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure remains strong and is broadening across cloud providers, specialist artificial intelligence companies and enterprise customers. Supply constraints, rising memory costs and competition from customers’ internally developed chips remain risks, but the August result provided unusually strong evidence that demand has not yet slowed.


Applied Materials declined 9.7% despite reporting record results and guidance above expectations. Quarterly revenues at the semiconductor equipment maker rose 25% to US$9.12 billion and adjusted earnings increased 41%, but investors focused on unchanged margin guidance and whether the company was growing quickly enough relative to competitors. The stock had more than doubled earlier in the year, setting a high bar, while concerns around China and local equipment suppliers also weighed on sentiment. Nevertheless, management raised its semiconductor-systems outlook, supported by strong demand for advanced memory, leading-edge logic and advanced packaging as AI increases the complexity of chip manufacturing.


Royal Caribbean declined 15.6% as higher fuel prices, geopolitical disruption and balance-sheet concerns weighed on sentiment towards the cruise line operator. While its late-July result exceeded expectations and guidance was raised, modest booking disruption on selected itineraries and rising oil prices contributed to a broader cruise-sector sell-off. Despite these pressures, demand remains resilient, with record pricing, booking volumes ahead of last year and strong early demand for 2027.





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New Zealand & Australian equities




CSL performed strongly during the month, rising 39%. The healthcare company delivered an FY26 result that was broadly in line with its previously reduced expectations but, more importantly, provided encouraging signs that conditions were improving across its core plasma business. Stronger-than-expected immunoglobulin and albumin sales increased confidence that the worst of the earnings disappointments that weighed on sentiment earlier in the year may now be behind the company. Investors were also encouraged by FY27 profit guidance, which came in slightly ahead of market expectations and shifted attention back towards the prospect of renewed earnings growth. A further positive was greater clarity emerging during the month that proposed US pharmaceutical tariffs would not adversely affect the company. With expectations having been reset to a low level, evidence that earnings were stabilising and that the outlook remained credible was sufficient to drive a substantial recovery in the share price.


Spark outperformed during the month, gaining 11% during the month. The full year results showed revenue and gross profit modestly ahead of forecasts, providing encouraging signs of stabilisation after a challenging period for the business. Mobile remained a relative bright spot, with trading momentum holding up reasonably well and recent price increases supporting a clearer pathway towards revenue growth. Management continued to simplify the business and focus investment on its core connectivity operations. Importantly, FY27 earnings and dividend guidance were slightly ahead of market expectations. With investor concerns having shifted from the pace of earnings decline to whether the company was approaching an earnings floor, the combination of an in-line result and credible signs of stabilisation was enough to trigger a meaningful re-rating.


ResMed rose 11% during the month following another solid result that reinforced the resilience of demand for its sleep-apnoea products, providing reassurance on the potential long-term market impact of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs. While inflation continues to create cost pressures, ResMed's pricing power has enabled it to increase prices and offset much of the impact. Pricing also helped absorb costs associated with the Astral ventilator recall, limiting the effect on underlying earnings. Strong cash generation remains a key feature of the business, and management announced a US$450 million accelerated share buyback, providing an additional tailwind to future earnings growth and shareholder returns.


On the downside, Charter Hall declined 17% despite delivering a solid FY26 result. Operating earnings rose 27% to A$488 million, while the FY27 outlook remained broadly intact. The weakness reflected a broader sell-off in Australian property stocks as rising bond yields weighed on valuations and increased funding cost concerns. Despite the near-term pressure, we continue to view Charter Hall favourably given the quality of its funds management platform, strong operating leverage, and long-term earnings growth potential.


HomeCo Daily Needs REIT declined 13% during the month. While the underlying property portfolio continued to perform reasonably well, with FY26 funds from operations meeting expectations and rental income growth remaining solid, higher borrowing costs absorbed much of that benefit and limited earnings growth for shareholders. Investor concerns were amplified by FY27 guidance that fell short of expectations and a shorter hedge profile, increasing sensitivity to higher interest rates. Despite these challenges, the trust continues to trade at a substantial discount to asset value and offers an attractive distribution yield.



Returns to the 31st August 2026 

(after fees* and before tax) 


Generate KiwiSaver Funds:

1 Month 

1 Year 

5 Year (p.a.) 

10 Year (p.a.)

Since inception** 

(p.a.) 

Focused
Growth Fund 

1.35%

11.33%

8.16%

10.56%

10.20%

Growth
Fund 

1.04%

9.03%

6.92%

9.11%

9.18%

Balanced Fund^

0.95%

7.49%



9.12%

Moderate Fund

0.63%

5.15%

4.98%

5.44%

5.83%

Conservative Fund^

0.40%

3.39%



5.62%

CashPlus Fund^

0.29%

2.89%



4.21%

Thematic Fund^^^

-0.06%

15.34%



25.23%

Global Fund^^^

4.94%

16.63%



29.16%

Australasian Fund^^^

-0.54%

1.34%



8.30%


Generate Managed Funds:


 1 Month

1 Year

5 Year (p.a.) 

10 Year (p.a.)

Since inception** (p.a) 

Focused Growth Managed Fund

1.34%

11.26%

 8.08%


9.46%

Balanced Managed Fund^

0.95%

7.51%

 


9.15%

Conservative Managed Fund^

0.39

3.39%

 


5.61%

Thematic Managed Fund^^

-0.08%

15.26%



20.66%

Australasian Managed Fund^^

-0.56%

1.28%



4.61%

Global Managed Fund^^^

4.94%

16.81%



29.33%

CashPlus Managed Fund^^^

0.29%

2.96%



3.16%

Fixed Interest Managed Fund^^^

0.10%

1.75%



2.93%

* Except for the $3 per member per month administration expense that is charged to KiwiSaver members over 18.

** The Generate KiwiSaver Scheme funds opened on 16 April 2013. The Generate Focused Growth Trust opened on 1 November 2019.

^ these funds were established on 16 May 2022.

^^ these funds were established on 3 July 2023.

^^^ these funds were established on 30 April 2025.

Past performance is not necessarily an indicator of future performance.

Generate’s fund updates can be found here for KiwiSaver Funds and here for Managed Funds.

Top Holdings as of the 31st July 2026

International Equities 

Microsoft

Nvidia

Amazon

Alphabet

Taiwan Semiconductor

External Funds and Unlisted Equities

Te Ahumairangi Global Equity Fund

CIM Infrastructure III Fund

Novva Data Centres

Heal Partners Australia Fund 2

Property Income Fund

Property & Infrastructure

Infratil

Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Ltd

Auckland International Airport

Contact Energy

Goodman Group

Fixed Income & Cash

NZ Local Goverment FundingAgency Bonds

Housing New Zealand

Westpac NZ Bonds

NZ Government Bonds

ANZ Bonds


Generate total Funds Under Management (FUM) as of 31st of August 2026:
⁠$10,362,328,506


Disclaimers