If We Knew the Future, Investing Would Be Easy
Imagine going back two years.
You are told that geopolitical tensions will rise, wars will continue, oil prices will remain uncertain, and global trade will face fresh challenges.
Now you are asked:
Would you invest more in Large Caps, Mid Caps or Small Caps?
Many investors might have chosen Large Caps. The logic would be simple — in uncertain times, larger and more established companies should provide greater comfort.
But markets don't always behave according to our expectations.
And that brings us to an important investment lesson:
Knowing what may happen is not the same as knowing what the market will do.
Today, after seeing how different market segments have performed, the temptation may be to move towards yesterday's winners.
This is where investor behaviour becomes important.
We often:
• Look at recent returns and assume the trend will continue.
• Try to predict which segment will perform next.
• Change our allocation after the market has already moved.
Instead, consider a different approach.
Build an allocation, not a prediction.
Before choosing your next investment, ask yourself:
1. What should my Large, Mid and Small Cap allocation actually be?
Based on your goals, time horizon and ability to handle volatility.
2. What does my portfolio look like as a whole?
Five different funds don't necessarily mean five different exposures.
3. When was the last time I reviewed my allocation?
Sometimes the portfolio we have today is very different from the portfolio we originally intended to build.
A simple exercise
Take your existing mutual funds and classify them by their underlying market-cap exposure.
Then ask:
“Is this the allocation I intended to have — or simply the allocation that happened because of past performance?”
We believe this is where meaningful portfolio conversations begin. Because the objective isn't to predict tomorrow's winner.
It is to build a portfolio that doesn't depend on knowing who that winner will be.