The 60/40 Portfolio Is Alive and Well
In a year when investors questioned whether a traditional mix of stocks and bonds, the so-called 60/40 portfolio, is obsolete, the closely watched benchmark1 for the strategy delivered 11% returns as of 15 December. This follows three decades of annualized returns of 7.6%, despite ever-falling interest rates and concern that the secular bull market for interest rates was over. The new year will inevitability bring new concerns for bonds, and the question remains whether 60/40 portfolios can continue to deliver a fitting return for investors, and more specifically whether bonds offer an effective complement to riskier asset classes, like equities.