Introduction
The need to diversify investment portfolios has increased in recent years, leading many investors to seek out single country funds as an innovative way to increase return while minimizing risk. Single country funds provide exposure to a particular country’s stock markets and allow investors to benefit from investments in companies listed in and specific to an individual country’s economies. As such, these funds open up a world of opportunities for differentiated strategies and capital appreciation.
Risk/Reward
There are several key factors to consider when investing in single country funds including risk/reward, benchmark and volatility. In terms of risk, single country funds often contain more concentrated portfolios than mutual funds and ETFs, meaning the chance of a stock performing poorly and therefore reducing the overall performance of the fund is greater. The reward potential however is greater in single country funds than other types of investing, with greater potential for returns due to the ability for investors to access businesses and opportunities which are completely unique to the respective country.
Benchmark
Another consideration when investing in single country funds is the benchmark. Because a single country fund provides exposure to the specific country’s stock markets, investors must consider the economic prospects of this country and the benchmark used when gauging the performance of the fund. Generally, the benchmark used is a combination of the country’s stock market index and various sectors such as technology, banking and consumer goods. Investors should make sure that the benchmark used is reflective of the investment performance sought.
Volatility
Lastly, volatility is an important consideration when investing in single country funds. As with most investments, single country funds can be prone to fluctuations in performance, which is often highly dependent on economic factors within the respective country. Investors must weigh up the potential risk of volatility on performance with the potential reward of the fund before investing.
Conclusion
In conclusion, single country fund investing presents an attractive option for investors looking to diversify their portfolios, but potential investors must weigh up the potential risk/reward, cultural and environmental factors of the chosen country as well as any benchmarked investment performance. With this information in hand investors can make an informed decision when considering if a single country fund is the right option for them.