The S&P 500’s Concentration Offers a Lesson on Diversification
By RDM Financial Group on October 16, 2023
The odds are high that you have read or heard about artificial intelligence or Chat GPT this year. In the stock market, there is a small group of stocks known as the “7 Tech Titans”, which includes leading technology firms exposed to the AI theme. The group of stocks has significantly outperformed this year due to growing excitement about AI, which has in turn increased its weight in the S&P 500. The five largest companies in the S&P 500, which are all part of the 7 Tech Titans, account for 22% of the entire index’s total market capitalization. These five companies include Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, NVIDIA, and Alphabet (the parent company of Google).
The S&P 500 is now highly concentrated, surpassing the previous record set in December 1999. In that era, Microsoft, General Electric, Cisco, Walmart, and Intel collectively represented around 19% of the S&P 500. How have those five stocks fared since 2000? Figure 1 shows their combined weight in the S&P 500 has declined over time, while the weight of today’s five largest stocks has steadily increased. Figure 2 shows the five stocks have produced an average total return of 216% since 2000, compared to the S&P 500’s return of 349%. At an individual stock level, only one out of the five stocks managed to outperform the S&P 500 over the past two decades.
The two charts highlight the importance of diversification. In both instances, the high concentration resulted from the outperformance of a small group of stocks. However, the return data in Figure 2 shows that today’s winners are not necessarily tomorrow’s winners. Diversifying your stock holdings across different sectors and companies can help manage this risk. It’s also important to diversify across bonds, real estate, and other asset classes, as well as regularly rebalance your portfolio to avoid concentration risk like the S&P 500. Financial markets are constantly changing, and owning a portfolio that is diversified across asset classes can help smooth returns over time and decrease overall portfolio risk. Our goal is to help you create a well-balanced investment portfolio that aligns with your financial goals and risk tolerance.
Jeffrey L. Corliss, CFP®, ChFC®, CLU® CASL®
Managing Director, Partner
Michael Sheldon, CFA®, FRM®, CFP®
Executive Director & CIO
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RDM Financial Group is a group comprised of investment professionals registered with Hightower Advisors, LLC, an SEC registered investment adviser. Some investment professionals may also be registered with Hightower Securities, LLC (member FINRA and SIPC). Advisory services are offered through Hightower Advisors, LLC. Securities are offered through Hightower Securities, LLC.
This is not an offer to buy or sell securities, nor should anything contained herein be construed as a recommendation or advice of any kind. Consult with an appropriately credentialed professional before making any financial, investment, tax or legal decision. No investment process is free of risk, and there is no guarantee that any investment process or investment opportunities will be profitable or suitable for all investors. Past performance is neither indicative nor a guarantee of future results. You cannot invest directly in an index.
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