Why diversification is your best friend in today’s market

By Akshay Sardana, VP – Strategy & International Development, The Continental Group

In the world of investing, diversification is the only free lunch.

It’s becoming increasingly clear that diversification is not just a buzzword but a necessity from a de-risking standpoint. Whether you’re an individual investor trying to safeguard your savings or a financial institution managing large portfolios, spreading your investments across different asset classes, sectors, and geographies is crucial. We are navigating a phase marked by rising inflation, geopolitical tensions, and market volatility. Diversification is a crucial part of your financial safety net. It is just as important to think of how many different ways you can be invested, as it is to think of how long you will be invested.

Portfolios are often built primarily around time in the market; on face value, this is not a bad practice on its own. It is true that the likelihood of  risk-adjusted gains goes up the longer you stay invested. But there are plenty of examples over the last five years which show that it should not be your only priority.

Remember the market uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic? While some sectors took significant hits, others, like technology, pharma, and commodities, saw substantial gains. Such disparities highlight the importance of a diversified portfolio. A large economic downturn doesn’t mean the potential for portfolio growth must fall.

Portfolio diversification is about spreading your investments to reduce exposure to any single risk. For financial institutions, diversification helps manage client portfolios more effectively. For individual investors, it safeguards savings against unexpected market downturns.

Strategies for effective diversification

Here is some data that points out why there is financial prudence in considering a diversified approach.

The table above illustrates how diversification enables investors to reduce concentration risk by spreading their investments across various sectors, asset types, and regions to achieve better results over time.

Asset class diversification: Allocating investments across different asset classes – such as equities, bonds, real estate, commodities, is the most rudimentary form of diversification. Equities might offer growth, while bonds provide stability and income. Real estate can offer inflation protection, and commodities like gold can serve as a hedge against market volatility. This approach ensures that an investor’s portfolio is not overly dependent on the performance of a single asset class. In its most ideal form, this kind of diversification allows for convenient rebalancing – changing the ratio of your investments in different classes – based on market trends.

Individual asset diversification: This strategy involves investing in a variety of assets within the same class. For example, rather than putting all your money into one tech stock or one sector, you might invest in a mix of various sectors. This approach reduces the risk associated with any single company or sector’s performance. This is critical as companies within a sector tend to have correlated performance, whereas different sectors tend to perform differently. By spreading investments across sectors, investors can leverage the strengths of multiple opportunities while cushioning against unidirectional risk.

Geographical diversification: By spreading investments across different regions, investors can hedge against local economic downturns. Investing in both emerging and developed markets can balance risks and rewards. For instance, while emerging markets may offer higher growth potential, developed markets typically provide stability. Recent geopolitical conflicts have shown that even local events can have global repercussions – having your portfolio spread across multiple regions is the only way to guard against such events.

Alternative investments: Beyond conventional asset classes, alternative investments like hedge funds, private equity, private credit, and real estate offer unique advantages. These investments often come with flexible terms and the potential for high returns, though they usually require a longer commitment. For instance, hedge funds, managed by professional fund managers, aim to maximize returns by strategically deploying investments. Private equity and private credit investing can also provide substantial returns but typically involve higher risks in terms of both capital deployed as well as timeframe.

Implementing diversification into your portfolio

Managing volatility in investments is much easier than managing emotions while investing.

To get started, there are two critical ingredients to get right:

1. Getting the right financial advisor
2. Setting up the right asset mix

If it’s a personal portfolio, you can start by automating your investments under the guidance of your advisor to ensure consistent allocation into diverse assets. Automating investments helps mitigate the risk of emotional decision-making, ensuring that a portion of your income is regularly allocated towards diverse assets. Regularly review your portfolio – at least once a quarter – and rebalance as needed to align with your financial goals and risk tolerance.

For example, if you’re nearing retirement and looking for more stability, you might reduce your equity exposure and increase investments in dividend-paying stocks and real estate investment trusts (REITs), or even fixed-income assets. Dividend-paying stocks can provide a steady income stream, while REITs offer exposure to the real estate market with relatively lower volatility compared to direct real estate investments.

Of course, none of this is set in stone – it’s essential to stay informed about market trends and adjust your strategy accordingly, as the performance of different asset classes can vary significantly over time. Make sure your plans are dynamic and avoid generic thumb rules, because personal finance is not a one-size-fits-all sphere.

Institutional diversification has some principles that can come in handy. Institutions focus on strategic asset allocation tailored to client needs, leveraging their expertise to adjust portfolios based on market trends. One effective strategy is investing in thematic funds that target specific growth areas, such as technology, healthcare, or renewable energy. Typically these are sectors that show resilience and growth potential, making them attractive even during market volatility. By maintaining well-rounded and flexible portfolios, institutions better navigate economic shocks and sector-specific downturns.

Common pitfalls

Diversification is not without its challenges. Common pitfalls include over-diversification, where the portfolio becomes too complex to manage effectively, and under-diversification, which fails to provide adequate risk mitigation. Over-diversification can lead to diminished returns, as the positive performance of some investments may be offset by the poor performance of others. On the other hand, under-diversification exposes the portfolio to higher risks, as it relies too heavily on the performance of a few assets.

Remember, the key to successful diversification lies in regular reviews, strategic rebalancing, and staying focused on long-term objectives. It’s crucial to remember that financial markets are inherently volatile, and short-term fluctuations should not drive investment decisions. Think of diversification as not just a financial strategy but also a stress management tool for yourself – a sufficiently balanced portfolio will keep you from making hasty decisions. Professional guidance to set up such a balanced system can be especially beneficial during periods of economic uncertainty.