Anyone with half-an-eye on the investment world will have seen the gains made in the AI sector, with microchips soaring. Early in August 2023, NASDAQ revealed a new Grace Hopper Superchip, equipped with a HBM3e processor, built to deal with the world’s most complex AI workloads. Given the rise of the likes of ChatGPT, AI is a market set to keep growing, and NASDAQ itself has seen a 31% gain over the past six months.
Amid all the furore surrounding this most futuristic of investments, it’s easy to get carried away and start investing in whatever stock is hot-to-the-touch right now. But as we’ll see below, genuine, long-term wealth management is best achieved through a different approach – that of portfolio diversification.
Stocks beyond the trend
Trends come and go in all fields, from business and investments to music and clothing, or anything else you might think of. And they tend to dominate the headlines until the next big thing comes along.
As a result, it’s easy to be swayed by the kind of figures that NASDAQ trading has been conjuring up, and be less tempted to keep an eye on the bigger picture. However, keeping your head when all about you are losing theirs – to borrow a poetic turn of phrase – is likely to bring you better results in the long-term.
Beyond AI, plenty of stocks are performing – they’re just failing to make the headlines given their lack of shiny ‘newness’. One such stock – cocoa futures – has seen a 39% rise; far outdoing NASDAQ but avoiding the hullabaloo that surrounds it, and there are many more high performers that go unnoticed from one week to the next.
The point here is to stay aware of the wider scenario. Throwing your oars in with the latest trend is a high-risk strategy that’s unlikely to build sustainable wealth long into the future. The same goes for committing to any single stock or investment. It ‘may’ bring rewards, but it’s just as likely to bring you nightmares.
The benefits of stock diversification
Given that there’s no guarantee when it comes to earning money through stock investments, the safest bet is to diversify. If you’re able to spread your investment across multiple assets the returns might be less, but you’ll be unlikely to lose everything.
Another option in the stock world is to consider the likes of mutual or exchange-traded funds (ETFs). These take your investment and spreads it across multiple stocks and/or shares. Over time, most stocks have periods of highs and lows. A multi-stock portfolio is thus likely to bring you gains in some areas, and losses in others.
As a result, it’s a much safer way to grow your wealth, without running the risk of losing everything in a sudden market dip. Remember to speak to an expert in fund management prior to making any investment.
The concept of portfolio diversification
Just as the name suggests, a diversified portfolio is one that has multiple investments in different entities. It’s a much slower method of growing your wealth than, say, investing all of your funds into a single stock that performs highly. But it comes with far less risk, in that – even if some of your assets under-perform – you’ll never stand to lose everything.
What does a diversified portfolio look like?
A typical diversified portfolio may include the likes of the following:
- Stocks and shares
Investing in stocks and shares gives you a percentage of ownership in a particular company. You’ll reap the benefits if that company does well, and lose out if it fails. Stock investment is thus a risky activity, but one that can be better-managed by spreading your investments across multiple companies.
- Property
Investing in real estate has been one of the most lucrative investments of the last 50 years, even if the market has slowed over the past decade or two. As a long-term investment, there’s little that can compare to a property portfolio in terms of being relatively low risk.
- Pension
Pensions are often thought of as being separate to an investment portfolio, but it’s well-worth considering them as part of a greater whole. Although little is guaranteed in life, making regular payments into a pension is a much safer bet towards safeguarding your financial future than most of the other opportunities out there.
- Savings accounts
It’s always worth having an investment in a high-interest saving account or two. ISAs are probably the most well-known and accessible to earners. And should you be able to invest more than £20,000 per year, there are countless other savings accounts offering even greater reward, depending on your choice of bank.
- Investments for offspring
It’s incredibly difficult for today’s generation to enter the housing market, pay their university fees, or make enough money to put something aside for the future. Many consider opening an ISA, pension, or savings account for their offspring, which they’ll have access to once they pass a certain age. Having such a specified investment within your portfolio makes it more likely that such an asset will fulfill its intended purpose.
Conclusion
Whilst it can be tempting to keep a keen eye on the latest trends and move your funds around accordingly, that’s a tactic that only those with nerves of steel – and perhaps an unlimited source of income – can truly indulge in.
For most of us mere mortals, it pays to take the steadier approach of portfolio diversification and grow your wealth in a sustainable way, free from obscene peaks and troughs.
Discuss the health of your own personal financial situation by speaking with our Senior Wealth Manager, Michael, for an unbiased and expert view today.