Conventional wisdom suggests that to achieve a better return, one should be willing to take on more risk. But looking at returns across asset classes over the five years to end-December 2022, this theory has been tested – a story best told by the FTSE/JSE All Share (ALSI)’s lacklustre returns of 8.0% per year compared to the FTSE/JSE All Bond Index’s of 7.8% over the period, but taking investors on a much bumpier ride. Considering the volatility and lack of obvious reward, it is not surprising that some conservative investors have sought perceived safety and steered away from equity markets to assets with smoother return profiles.
Conventional wisdom suggests that to achieve a better return, one should be willing to take on more risk. But looking at returns across asset classes over the five years to end-December 2022, this theory has been tested – a story best told by the FTSE/JSE All Share (ALSI)’s lacklustre returns of 8.0% per year compared to the FTSE/JSE All Bond Index’s of 7.8% over the period, but taking investors on a much bumpier ride. Considering the volatility and lack of obvious reward, it is not surprising that some conservative investors have sought perceived safety and steered away from equity markets to assets with smoother return profiles.
