The S&P 500’s Lack of Diversification – S&P 5 vs. S&P 495
The S&P 500’s Lack of Diversification – S&P 5 vs. S&P 495 As this chart hightlights, the S&P 500 is less diversified than you think. Image: Lohman Econometrics
The S&P 500’s Lack of Diversification – S&P 5 vs. S&P 495 As this chart hightlights, the S&P 500 is less diversified than you think. Image: Lohman Econometrics
The Value of Diversification – 60/40 Portfolio vs. S&P 500 This chart shows the return and volatility of a 60/40 portfolio vs. S&P 500. Image: Fidelity Investments
Time, Diversification and the Volatility of Returns This chart shows how the volatility of returns decreases over time (range of equity, bond and blended total return). Picture Source: J.P. Morgan Asset Management
Rolling 20-Week Correlations of the S&P 500 to the Usual Havens During this decade’s market shocks, traditional havens have too often failed to hedge, frustrating investors who assumed they would shield portfolios. The takeaway: diversification has to be multidimensional and adaptive. Image: Deutsche Bank
1-Month Rolling Correlation of 10-Year UST Yield Change and S&P 500 Returns Since the start of the Middle East conflict, U.S. Treasuries have struggled to play their traditional diversification role. The one-month rolling correlation between 10-year yields and equitie returns has sunk to a multi-decade low. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
Central Bank Gold Purchases Central bank gold buying eased to 863 tonnes in 2025 from 1,092 tonnes in 2024. Buying has cooled, but official-sector demand remains well above historical standards and continues to play a strategic role in reserve diversification. Image: Real Investment Advice
Decomposition of YTD Return in USD Global diversification paid off in 2025 as most major non‑U.S. markets outperformed U.S. equities. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
Equity Market and Share of the Biggest Sector in the U.S. History keeps repeating on Wall Street — when diversification fades, sector dominance rises. But it never lasts. Sooner or later, shifts in the economy, technology, or geopolitics bring the rotation full circle. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
Top 10 Mega Cap Stocks as % of S&P 500 The growing dominance of the top 10 companies in the S&P 500 has raised concerns about whether the index still provides sufficient diversification, given the concentration risks and sector imbalances. Image: Real Investment Advice
Equities – MSCI U.S./RoW Distance from 200-DMA The MSCI U.S./RoW distance from the 200-DMA highlights a major interruption to the narrative of U.S. exceptionalism and reinforces the need for global diversification in equity portfolios. Image: Bloomberg
U.S. Share of Global Equity Market The U.S. share of the global equity market, while still dominant at 54%, has retreated from its peak of 57%, reflecting recent market turbulence and growing diversification concerns. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research