There is an old saying that goes, “If you don’t hate at least one investment in your portfolio, you aren’t really diversified.” It’s a clever reminder that not having your eggs in one basket means that some of your baskets will look really ratty while others are full of chocolate bunnies and decorated with bows. However, those baskets change places each year.
Herewith, my annual list of the best and worst performing sectors so far in 2020*. This is not investment advice, just a fond look back at a year we are all enjoying so much.
The Scary:
- Energy, -45%
- Financials, -12%
- Real Estate, -5.8%
- Utilities, -5%
- Industrials, -.57%
The Sweet:
- Information Technology, +45%
- Consumer Discretionary, +24%
- Health Care, +16.7%
- Communication Services, +15%
- Materials, +12%
- Consumer Staples, +6.8%
Interesting that in this time of panic and lockdown the Consumer Staples category is being beaten by Consumer Discretionary by 17%. Maybe people stocking up on jigsaw puzzles, paint by numbers kits, and alcohol are buying much more than the toilet paper hoarders. Or, that could just be what’s happening in my house.
*Returns are year-to-date as of 9/14/2020. Source, Fidelity Investments https://eresearch.fidelity.com/eresearch/markets_sectors/sectors/sectors_in_market.jhtml
