Published: June 1, 2025
My youngest son would eat the same thing every day if we would let him. Like many kids, he is resistant to stepping outside his comfort zone and does not realize, despite mom and dad's best efforts, that eating different foods provides numerous health benefits.
Humans are creatures of habit. We often gravitate to what we know and avoid what we don’t. This often is the case when it comes to investing. A research report released by Vanguard in 2024 indicated the S&P/TSX Composite Index currently accounts for only 2.7% of the world stock market, however the average Canadian investor has 50% of their portfolio in Canada. This is referred to as "home bias." By contrast, according to the Canada Pension Plan web site[FN1] , they currently invest only 12% in Canada.
Diversification aims to maximize return by investing in different areas that would each react differently to the same event. Many investment professionals agree that diversification is the most important component of reaching long-range financial goals while minimizing risk.
Below are seven strategies that we employ to diversify and help reduce risk in our clients' portfolios:
- Asset Class: Number one for a reason… Asset class, also referred to as asset allocation, can account for up to 90% of an investor's return which was evidenced in a popular study by Gary Brinson (available on Morningstar.com). It refers to the portion of a portfolio that is allocated between stocks, bonds, and cash. Everyone's asset allocation will differ based on his or her investment objectives, risk tolerance and unique circumstances.
- Geography: We believe that investing only in Canada leaves your portfolio under-represented in the world market. Most of the things we own in our home and driveway are made globally. Over 97% of investment opportunities lie outside of Canada. The U.S. stock market is the largest by far, accounting for nearly 60% of the world market.
- Style: There are several investment styles, but the two most common are value and growth. A value approach tends to focus on price, fundamental strength of the company and if it is over/under valued. Banks, pipelines, and railroads tend to be value investments. A growth investor tends to focus on the growth prospects of the company and competitive advantages. The tech sector is a growth industry with some notable names including Amazon, Nvidia, Tesla and Google's parent company Alphabet.
- Size: Different sized companies can have significantly different returns in various market conditions. Smaller companies tend to see more growth when the economy is doing well and expanding. Mature and larger companies tend to hold up better when the economy slows or drops.
- Sector: Markets are typically broken down into 11 sectors. As of July 31st, 2024, according to TSX.com, Canada's market is dominated by three sectors: Financials (31%), Energy (17.7%) and Materials (12.5%) accounting for a total of 61.2%. Investing only in Canada could leave you disproportionately exposed to financials and energy, while very light in info tech, health care and consumer sectors.
- Currency: Investing outside of Canada adds a layer of risk dealing with currency exposure. Large swings in currency can either add or detract from a portfolio. The options are to hedge out currency in part, all together, or let it ride. Many investment vehicles offer a hedged version that removes the currency component to international investing.
- Non-Traditional Assets: With increased globalization, we are seeing increased instances of different stock markets moving in the same direction, also called positive correlation. The goal of non-traditional assets is to find investments that act independently of the main markets. Hedge funds, private debt, and commodities are a few examples.
These are some of the most common and effective ways to diversify your portfolio and help you achieve your investing goals. As always, we encourage you to consult with a professional before making any changes to your portfolio.
Until next time…
Invest Well Live Well.
Written by Keith
