This year has been a good one for investors, with the US markets leading the way. The S&P 500 has returned over 20% and extended its decade-long bull run. Locally, our returns are not as impressive. But we have managed to get into double-digit returns – including with dividends – after many years of flat returns from the JSE.
Unless you’re holding an exchange-traded fund (ETF) issued over one of these markets, these are theoretical returns as they’re indices. So, if you run your own portfolio of individual stocks, your mileage may vary, and it may vary substantially.
Personally, my portfolio of individual stocks is a little behind the Top 40’s return and part of my yearend portfolio review needs to look into why I have underperformed and whether I should be worried.
The big driver locally in 2019 has been commodity stocks and, in particular, single commodity miners such as Impala Platinum (Implats). And I don’t hold any single commodity miners in my long-term ‘til death do us part’ portfolio.
This story is from the 12 December 2019 - 15 January 2020 edition of Finweek English.
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This story is from the 12 December 2019 - 15 January 2020 edition of Finweek English.
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