How is my client’s total portfolio valued?

Adviser Online portfolio valuation reporting uses real-time data and will change based on standard market processes, like asset pricing and trade settlements. This article explains how these processes work, and answers common questions about why a valuation might look different from day to day.

Why is my portfolio valuation different to my client’s report?

The total value displayed in portfolio valuation reports may differ depending on where the report is generated. 

  • For reports accessed from digital banking and Adviser Online, each report will display real-time data based off the latest information available for the relevant reporting period.
  • For legacy reports you can still access (from Wrap Online), this will display data as at the end of the previous business day.

How is the value of my client’s holdings calculated?

The value of your client’s investments is determined by the latest available price for each holding. We source this pricing data from specialised third-party providers and the relevant stock exchanges.

Asset type

Pricing details

Australian shares

Priced using the most recent data from the ASX. During market hours, this can be delayed by as little as 20 minutes. Outside of market hours, the previous day's closing price is used.

International shares

Priced at the last closing price on their respective overseas exchange and then converted into Australian dollars.

Managed funds

The fund manager, not us (unless it’s specifically stated in the investment's product documentation), calculates the price at set intervals. This can be daily, weekly, or even monthly, which can lead to perceived delays in valuation updates for non-daily priced funds (NDPFs).

Term deposits

The valuation reflects the principal investment amount only. It doesn’t include any interest that has accrued.

Why do portfolio valuation reports show a different 'cost' for my client’s investments depending on the date?

You may notice a difference in the cost base figure in Adviser Online depending on the date selected when generating a report. This is due to different calculation methods being used for past and present-day portfolio valuations.

  • Reports for today's date use the 'adjusted cost base'. Since these reports use real-time data from Digital Banking and Adviser Online, they reflect the most up-to-date valuation.
  • Reports for a previous date will use the 'original cost base'.

This differs from legacy reports (from Wrap Online), which use end-of-day data from the previous business day.

How do I explain settlement timing to a client?

The settlement process and timing can be explained based on the liquidity of the asset class.

1.    Listed equities (most liquid)

The standard settlement period is T+2 (trade date + 2 business days). However, for a sale on an IDPS account, the cash proceeds often become available in the CMA on T+1. This creates a one-day window where the client can see both the cash and the asset in their portfolio before the asset is removed on T+2. For superannuation accounts, this T+1 cash arrival is not displayed, and the entire transaction is updated together after the T+2 settlement.

2.    Term deposits (predictable settlements)

This asset has a key settlement difference based on the product structure:

  • IDPS accounts – proceeds from a maturing term deposit settle in one business day (T+1)
  • Super and pension accounts – proceeds settle in two business days (T+2).

3.    Managed funds and SMAs (least liquid, variable settlements)

It’s important to note that these don’t follow a simple ‘T+X’ settlement cycle. They operate on a processing cycle determined by the fund manager that’s typically disclosed in the relevant funds disclosure. The transaction is only finalised after the fund manager next calculates their official unit price, otherwise known as the ‘Net Asset Value’ (NAV). For non-daily priced funds (NDPFs), this can be weekly or even monthly. The settlement time is therefore dependent on this pricing frequency, not on the trade date itself.

Why doesn’t a non-daily priced fund (NDPF) order appear as 'pending' immediately?

Unlike a share trade, an NDPF order doesn’t always appear as a 'pending' transaction immediately after cash has been debited.

Daily NDPF orders

A daily priced NDPF accepts orders on a daily basis. When a client invests, cash is sent to the fund manager to place the order. The transaction record is only created in our system, and units allocated, after the fund manager calculates their next official unit price. The client's order is in the queue with the manager and will be processed on the next available pricing date.

Non-daily NDPF orders

These NDPF’s won’t accept orders on a daily basis. In this scenario, cash may remain in your client’s account until a few days before the purchase/sell window closes. For more information about these windows, please refer to our NDPF timetable here.

Why don’t trades executed by an external broker appear immediately?

Our platform is only updated to reflect trades executed by an external broker once we’re notified through a contract note from that broker. This typically takes 1-2 business days from the execution date. The transaction will appear in the client's account only after this note has been received and processed.

How do corporate actions affect portfolio valuations?

The impact that corporate actions may have on portfolio valuations depends on the timing of the event, the event type and asset class. If the portfolio valuation is being reviewed during one of these events, the below should be considered.

For listed securities:

  • Mergers/acquisitions – The original stock may temporarily display a zero value after it’s been delisted but before the new shares or cash consideration have been allocated. The value will be updated once it’s been processed.
  • Dividends/distributions – There is often a processing lag of several business days between the official payment date and the cash appearing in the client's account.

For managed funds:

  • Distributions – The fund's unit price will drop on the ex-distribution date, but the corresponding distribution payment (or reinvested units) may not appear for several days, causing a temporary dip in the total value.
  • Fund mergers/closures – If a fund has been closed or undergone a merge, the original fund may be removed from the portfolio prior to the new units being made available on reporting. This can create a temporary valuation gap, which could impact the portfolio valuation if you’re reviewing it during this period.

In all cases, these valuation differences are temporary and reflect the administrative processing cycle across multiple parties (including custodians, administrators, and registries). The valuation will automatically update once the corporate action has been fully processed and settled by all parties.

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