The power of diversification has been on display throughout 2025
Headline after headline this week highlighted that stocks posted their worst quarterly return since 2022—with the S&P 500 down 4.3% during the first three months of the year and 7.9% through April 3rd following Trump’s Tariff announcements.
But the fact is, some areas of the equity market stayed strong and even gained ground year-to-date (YTD). Case in point: The S&P 500 Low Volatility Index, which tracks the 100 least volatile stocks in the S&P 500, is up 6.5% YTD*. That’s 14.4% better than the S&P 500’s return, marking the Low Volatility Index’s best YTD performance through April 3 relative to the broad market since the inception of the index 53 years ago (see the chart).
Given the heightened uncertainty YTD, investors favored the Low Vol index’s defensive stocks (from sectors such as utilities, staples, and healthcare). Likewise, value and dividend-paying stocks ended the quarter in the black, while the once-hot tech sector slumped.
S&P 500 Low Volatility Index YTD Performance Relative to S&P 500 Through April 3 Each Year
Source: Bloomberg, calculations by Horizon Investments, data as of 04/03/25. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Indices are unmanaged and do not have fees or expense charges, both of which would lower returns. It is not possible to invest directly in an unmanaged index.
The upshot: Diversified equity portfolios with exposure to multiple corners of the market potentially held up well YTD compared to those heavily invested in just one or two sectors. That’s good news, especially if you have clients in or nearing retirement.
Or, as Nobel Prize Laureate economist Harry Markowitz put it: Diversification is the only free lunch in investing.
* Through 04/03/25