When allocating to global equities, investors often gravitate towards global large market capitalisation (large-cap) stocks.
This paper highlights the potential benefits of investing in global mid-cap stocks, contrasting them with the more commonly chosen large‑cap stocks.
Key takeaways for investors
- Diversification and growth potential: Mid-cap stocks offer significant long-term growth potential and diversification benefits, particularly in markets characterised by concentration on a few large-cap stocks. This segment is less dominated by individual stocks and sectors, reducing risk and enhancing portfolio stability.
- Risk-return profile: Mid-cap stocks have shown higher returns over the past 25 years compared to large-cap stocks, with a favourable Sharpe ratio, indicating that investors have been well-compensated for the risks involved.
- Investment strategy: Fidelity’s Global Future Leaders strategy focuses on identifying durable winners in the mid-cap segment through intensive research and a structured investment process. This includes a diversified portfolio across Quality, Value, Transition, and Momentum categories (QVTM), guided by fundamental analysis.
- Research and expertise: Fidelity leverages a large research team dedicated to small to mid-cap stocks, enabling the identification of opportunities often overlooked by others. The strategy is managed by experienced professionals, utilising insights from a global research network.
- Proven success: The Fidelity Global Future Leaders Fund has consistently outperformed the MSCI World Mid Cap Index, demonstrating the effectiveness of its investment process in various market conditions.
- Lessons learned: This paper emphasises the importance of identifying businesses that can compound earnings, aligning with strong management teams, maintaining investment discipline to avoid overpaying for assets, and ensuring companies have robust balance sheets to withstand market pressures.
The mid-cap segment offers a rich landscape for investment with opportunities to invest in emerging leaders that may graduate to large-cap status, thereby presenting compelling long-term investment prospects for investors.