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Four Reasons to Watch UK Equities

by Sponsored Content

The following content is sponsored by BlackRock.

Over the past several years, UK equities have traded at a relative discount compared to other developed markets. This was largely due to ongoing Brexit negotiations, where uncertainty around trade deals and other legislation created significant headwinds.

Fast forward to today, and much of the uncertainty has passed. Does this mean it’s time to invest in the UK?

Looking Ahead

This infographic from BlackRock covers four reasons for why investors should consider an allocation to UK equities.

UK Equities infographic

So, why should investors consider an allocation to UK equities?

#1: The UK Market Is Not the UK Economy

The UK equity market is represented by many leading multinational companies from a variety of sectors.

For example, consider the FTSE All-Share Index, which contains over 600 companies listed on the London Stock Exchange. As of March 31, 2021, 72.5% of these companies’ total revenue was derived from outside of the UK.

A large share of overseas revenue provides investors with exposure to a range of global themes, where outcomes are not dictated by the UK economy itself.

#2: Business Activity is Ramping Up

The confirmation of a Brexit trade deal has provided UK companies with clarity around the rules of engagement, as well as the confidence to look ahead.

As a result, the UK has been ranked as the most attractive place in Europe for future investment.

CountryWhich country do you believe will be
the most attractive for foreign investment in 2021?
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The Decline of Long-Term Investing

by Marcus Lu
This post is by Marcus Lu from Visual Capitalist

Decline of Long-term Investing

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The Briefing

  • The average holding period of shares on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is now <1 year
  • Technological advancement is one of the biggest drivers of this change

The Decline of Long-Term Investing

“Our favorite holding period is forever.”

Those are words from famed investor Warren Buffett, an advocate of the buy and hold approach to investing. Buy and hold is a long-term strategy in which shares are gradually accumulated over time, regardless of short-term performance.

And while Buffett is undoubtedly a successful investor, data from the NYSE suggests that few are actually following his advice. As of June 2020, the average holding period of shares was just 5.5 months. That’s a massive decrease from the late 1950s peak of 8 years.

What’s Driving This Change?

The decline in holding periods appears to have been caused by a number of factors, with the most prominent one being technological advancement.

For example, in 1966, the NYSE switched to a fully automated trading system. This greatly increased the number of trades that could be processed each day and lowered the cost of transactions.

YearNYSE Average Daily Trading Volume* (number of shares)
18861M
1982100M
1987500M
20201,000M

*10 day moving average as of Dec. 15, 2020. Source: Nasdaq

Automated exchanges have led to the introduction of high-frequency trading (HFT), which uses computer algorithms to analyze markets and execute trades within seconds. HFT represents 50% of trading volume in U.S. equity markets, making it a significant contributor to the decline in holding periods.

Technology has enabled investors to become more active as well. Thanks to the internet and smartphones, new information is widely distributed and easy to access. With online trading platforms, investors also have the ability to act on this information immediately.

Social media is also playing a role. The recent r/wallstreetbets saga is an example of how the stock market can become sensational and fad-driven. After all, long-term investing has much less to offer in terms of excitement.

Corporate Longevity in Decline

Finally, companies themselves are also exhibiting shorter lifespans. This results in greater index turnover (companies being added or removed from stock indexes), and is likely a contributor to the decline in holding periods.

In 1970, companies that were included in the S&P 500 had an average tenure of 35 years. By 2018, average tenure was down to 20 years, and by 2030, it’s expected to fall below 15 years.

Altogether, these trends may be creating a greater incentive to pursue short-term results.

Where does this data come from?

Source: NYSE, Refinitiv (Accessed via Reuters)

The post The Decline of Long-Term Investing appeared first on Visual Capitalist.