Quick Take: Benefits of Allocating to Low-Risk Equities
Low-Risk Equities Outperformed 60/40 during 2024
- While the traditional 60/40 portfolio has long been favored for stability, shifting market conditions have tested its reliance on bonds for diversification.
- In 2024, low-risk equities outperformed 60/40 with a similar level of risk. MSCI’s World Minimum Volatility Index rose 11.5% versus 10.0% for a 60/40 mix of the MSCI World and FTSE World Government Bond indexes. (Top chart, left.)
- In addition, low-risk equities provided superior downside protection. During the July-August selloff, when MSCI World fell -8.2%, the Minimum Volatility index slipped only -1.0% versus -3.7% for 60/40.
Enhancing Portfolios with Low-Risk Allocations
- We can illustrate the benefit of an allocation to low-risk stocks through a hypothetical 70/30 portfolio, where we shift 5% from cap-weighted equities and 10% from fixed income into MSCI World Minimum Volatility.
- Aiming to benefit from both risk-reducing and return-enhancing applications of low-risk equities would have paid off:
During 2024, this 70/30 mix delivered a higher return than a traditional 60/40 portfolio with the same level of risk. (Top and bottom charts.)
Moreover, this 70/30 portfolio produced higher risk-adjusted returns than 60/40 from 2017-2024, even as soaring equities made this a challenging period for low-risk investing. (Top chart, right.)
- This example highlights benefits of low-risk investing, which allow investors to increase their overall equity exposure whilst maintaining a similar level of risk.
Performance Comparison: Hypothetical Global Portfolios
2024: Cumulative Returns of Hypothetical Global Portfolios
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