The city's mandatory provident funds, which cover about 2 million employees, are expected to lose about 10 per cent in the first quarter of the year, but one expert says they should bounce back over the next two quarters.
MPF balanced funds, which invest in a mixture of bonds, stocks and cash, have lost 10 per cent this year, Mark Konyn, RCM's Asia-Pacific region chief executive, said.
That followed a loss of 31.5 per cent last year, which Mr Konyn blamed on slumping stock markets.
The Hang Seng Index has dropped 8 per cent so far this year, following a 48 per cent decline last year.
'Retirement fund investors are now suffering losses of a similar size to those incurred earlier this decade,' he said. 'The latest losses are due to the severe economic slowdown.'
However, Mr Konyn said he believed the worst was over and institutional investors, including pension funds and insurance companies, might increase stock holdings as the economy recovered in the second half of the year.