There has been a growing trend over the last decade to passive investing. With their low cost, transparency and instant diversification they are a one-stop solution. Even the great Warren Buffet has suggested: “The goal of the non-professional should not be to pick winners but should rather be to own a cross-section of businesses that in aggregate are bound to do well. A low-cost S&P 500 index fund will achieve this goal.”
At Bristol Gate, we are also believers in passive investing, but it should be done so with caution and is best when combined with quality, high active share active management.
The Unintended Consequences of Passive Investing
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You are not as diversified as you think
Passive index ETFs broadly buy the entire market. However, not all markets are created equally and depending on which passive strategy you buy you are actually making unintended bets. As an example, the S&P500 Low Volatility index is generally over 20% invested in Utilities and the S&P 500 itself has generally had over 20% exposure to Technology. The result is that even though you believe you are diversified, you are really reliant on the performance of these dominant sectors and sensitive to the risks of them as well.
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All the upside, but all the downside
Passive investing gives you perfect market exposure. This works when markets are going up because you get almost all of the upside however, when markets turn you accept all of the downside as well. There is no protection in a passive portfolio.
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Tough to beat the market, when you are buying it
If you are buying perfect market exposure, then there is no way that you will be able to outperform the market. In order to beat the market, your portfolio must be different from the market and either outperform on the upside, downside or both.
Working together for better outcomes
The combination of active management and passive investing is a powerful concept. The balance of both approaches can help achieve the goals of outperforming the market while keeping costs down.
The key when blending active and passive is having an active manager that looks different than the market. Otherwise there will be too much duplication over the passive index. This can be measured by whether a portfolio has a high active share.
Often active portfolios will be tilted to certain factors (ex. Momentum, Value, Low Volatility) which by including over with a passive portfolio will tilt your portfolio that way as well. In the case of Bristol Gate, we tend to tilt towards quality because the type of companies that can grow their dividends at upward of 15% will have strong balance sheets and capital allocation discipline.
Key Concept: Active Share
The percentage of fund holdings that is different from the benchmark holdings. A fund that has no holdings in common with the benchmark will have an Active Share of 100%, and a fund that has exactly the same holdings as the benchmark considered will have an Active Share of 0%.
Important Disclosures
There is a risk of loss inherent in any investment; past performance is not indicative of future results. Prospective and existing investors in Bristol Gate’s pooled funds or ETF funds should refer to the fund’s offering documents which outline the risk factors associated with a decision to invest. Separately managed account clients should refer to disclosure documents provided which outline risks of investing. Pursuant to SEC regulations, a description of risks associated with Bristol Gate’s strategies is also contained in Bristol Gate’s Form ADV Part 2A located at www.bristolgate.com/regulatory-documents.
This piece is presented for illustrative and discussion purposes only. It should not be considered as personal investment advice or an offer or solicitation to buy and/or sell securities and it does not consider unique objectives, constraints, or financial needs of the individual. Under no circumstances does this piece suggest that you should time the market in any way or make investment decisions based on the content. Investors are advised that their investments are not guaranteed, their values change frequently, and past performance may not be repeated. References to specific securities are presented to illustrate the application of our investment philosophy only, do not represent all of the securities purchased, sold or recommended for the portfolio, it should not be assumed that investments in the securities identified were or will be profitable and should not be considered recommendations by Bristol Gate Capital Partners Inc. A full list of security holdings is available upon request. For more information contact Bristol Gate Capital Partners Inc. directly. The information contained in this piece is the opinion of Bristol Gate Capital Partners Inc. and/or its employees as of the date of the piece and is subject to change without notice. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy in this piece at the time of publication; however, accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Market conditions may change and Bristol Gate Capital Partners Inc. accepts no responsibility for individual investment decisions arising from the use of or reliance on the information contained herein. We strongly recommend you consult with a financial advisor prior to making any investment decisions. Please refer to the Legal section of Bristol Gate’s website for additional information at bristolgate.com.
A Note About Forward-Looking Statements
This report may contain forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, statements about the Bristol Gate strategies, risks, expected performance and condition. Forward-looking statements include statements that are predictive in nature, that depend upon or refer to future events and conditions or include words such as “may”, “could”, “would”, “should”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “intend”, “plan”, “believe”, “estimate” and similar forward-looking expressions or negative versions thereof.
These forward-looking statements are subject to various risks, uncertainties and assumptions about the investment strategies, capital markets and economic factors, which could cause actual financial performance and expectations to differ materially from the anticipated performance or other expectations expressed. Economic factors include, but are not limited to, general economic, political and market factors in North America and internationally, interest and foreign exchange rates, global equity and capital markets, business competition, technological change, changes in government regulations, unexpected judicial or regulatory proceedings, and catastrophic events. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and consider the above-mentioned factors and other factors carefully before making any investment decisions. All opinions contained in forward-looking statements are subject to change without notice and are provided in good faith. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements. Bristol Gate Capital Partners Inc. has no specific intention of updating any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by securities legislation.
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