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Why Diversification Beats Conviction

The more concentrated a portfolio is, the greater the risk of missing out on the market's biggest winners and underperforming.

Alex Bryan
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A version of this article was published in the September 2018 issue of Morningstar ETFInvestor. Download a complimentary copy of Morningstar ETFInvestor by visiting the website.

Investing with conviction isn't necessarily a good idea. That may seem a bit counterintuitive, particularly with respect to manager selection. After all, an active manager's best ideas can shine more in a compact, high-conviction portfolio than they could in a better-diversified portfolio. It's hard to surmount active fees without taking bold active bets. But as portfolio concentration increases, so do the odds of underperforming the market.

Alex Bryan has a position in the following securities mentioned above: VFMF. Find out about Morningstar’s editorial policies.

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