Tag Archives: S&P 500 Sectors
Disentangling Diversification
We frequently hear that “it’s a stock picker’s market.” The recent market environment could equally well be characterized as a sector picker’s market. To measure the importance of sectors, we decompose total market dispersion into within-sector and cross-sector effects. Exhibit 1 shows that the contribution of cross-sector effects to total S&P 500® dispersion has trended…
- Categories Equities, S&P 500 & DJIA
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- Equities, S&P 500 & DJIA
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Examining Tactical Approaches to Sectors
Why does sector dispersion matter and how can it inform tactical approaches to sectors? S&P DJI’s Elizabeth Bebb and Invesco’s András Vig explore how sector dispersion can impact long-term asset allocations.
- Categories Equities
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These Go to 11: Diversification with S&P 500 Sectors
Many strategies (including passive ones) hold large allocations to Information Technology. A “barbell” approach can mitigate risk from high exposure to one sector by pairing it with another. Do you remember sending your first email? For many, it was likely around the mid-1990s when a “googol” was still 10^100 rather than a verb and the…
- Categories S&P 500 & DJIA
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Sizing Sectors
After peaks in S&P 500® concentration, the S&P 500 Equal Weight Index has tended to outperform, suggesting that there is a relationship between changes in concentration and the relative performance of equal weighting. But, does this relationship also occur at the sector level? Using the historical adjusted HHI (Herfindahl-Hirschman Index), we’ve previously established that concentration…
- Categories Equities
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- Equities
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Contemplating Concentration
After the exceptional performance of large-cap stocks in recent years, concentration concerns naturally come to mind. There are many ways to measure concentration. A simple method is to add up the weight of the top names, but the drawback with this approach is it doesn’t incorporate all the constituents in an index. The Herfindahl-Hirschman Index…
- Categories S&P 500 & DJIA
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No Easy Answer: Sector and Factor Responses to U.S. Rate Hikes
Although higher rates are generally seen as negative for risk assets, the initial stages of a monetary tightening cycle have not been disastrous for the U.S. stock market historically. However, while the overall market may muddle through just fine, the same may not be true for the different sectors and factors that compose a broad…
- Categories Factors, S&P 500 & DJIA
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The Market Is Up, But So Is Volatility
So far, 2020 has brought us a global pandemic, a coordinated global economic shutdown, and, in the U.S., a notably contentious election. So it’s no surprise that volatility has been, and remains, elevated. Despite all this, equities have fared reasonably (some would say surprisingly) well, with the S&P 500® climbing 13% through Nov. 19 since…
Sectors and Electors
Markets expect elevated volatility surrounding the U.S. Presidential election, now just six weeks away. The VIX futures curve currently peaks in November, but as long ago as April a close observer could detect expectations of electoral volatility. Increased volatility may create an unusual opportunity for sector allocators. To understand why, we need to remember that…
- Categories Equities, S&P 500 & DJIA, Strategy
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- Equities, S&P 500 & DJIA, Strategy
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A Stable Regime
In recent days the S&P 500 reached multiple new highs, despite the still-uncertain nature of the economy’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Year to date through Aug. 20, 2020, the S&P 500 is up 6% while the S&P 500 Low Volatility Index is down 6%. Market volatility remains high, as evidenced by the charts in…
- Categories Equities, Factors, Strategy
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2020, defensive strategies, Factor, factor analysis, factor investing, factor-based strategies, Fei Mei Chan, Index Investment Strategy, low volatility, low volatility strategies, rebalance, risk management, S&P 500, S&P 500 Low Volatility, S&P 500 Low Volatility Index, sectors, smart beta, smart beta strategies, strategic beta, strategy index
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- 2020, defensive strategies, Factor, factor analysis, factor investing, factor-based strategies, Fei Mei Chan, Index Investment Strategy, low volatility, low volatility strategies, rebalance, risk management, S&P 500, S&P 500 Low Volatility, S&P 500 Low Volatility Index, sectors, smart beta, smart beta strategies, strategic beta, strategy index
A Changed World
The world looks much different than it did three months ago. Since then equities hit their all-time peak, entered a bear market, exited a bear market, and currently sit 15% off peak with sustained higher volatility levels. The latest rebalance for the S&P 500 Low Volatility Index®, effective after the close of trading today, rotated…
- Categories Equities, Factors, Strategy
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Other Tags
2020, defensive strategies, Factor, factor analysis, factor investing, factor-based strategies, Fei Mei Chan, Index Investment Strategy, low volatility, low volatility strategies, rebalance, risk management, S&P 500, S&P 500 Low Volatility, S&P 500 Low Volatility Index, sectors, smart beta, smart beta strategies, strategic beta, strategy index
- Other Tags
- 2020, defensive strategies, Factor, factor analysis, factor investing, factor-based strategies, Fei Mei Chan, Index Investment Strategy, low volatility, low volatility strategies, rebalance, risk management, S&P 500, S&P 500 Low Volatility, S&P 500 Low Volatility Index, sectors, smart beta, smart beta strategies, strategic beta, strategy index