Non-US Equity Benchmarks Hold Few High-Growth Companies
We believe some of the most compelling investment opportunities are in companies that benefit from long-duration, secular growth trends. Getting exposure to these opportunities, however, can be challenging. In fact, many mainstream core international and emerging markets benchmarks have relatively small positions in secular growth companies.
The MSCI ACWI ex U.S. Index has very little exposure to secular growth and more than half of its exposure is in cyclical sectors—financials, energy, materials, and industrials (Figure 1). This is similar to the breakdown of the Russell 1000 Value Index.
Secular growth sectors—such as technology, health care, and consumer discretionary—include many companies that use technology to build long-duration growth drivers and lasting competitive advantages. The software industry, for example, offers many dynamic companies that have enjoyed significant growth, but the industry comprises just 1.7% of the core international index.
Emerging markets core indices, such as the MSCI EM Index, are more balanced between value and growth (Figure 2). The index has a significant weight in technology, and three of its top four holdings (Tencent, Alibaba, and Samsung) have established and mature businesses. While many are effectively run and growing, they do not offer the dynamic, accelerating secular growth potential we see in other up-and-coming investment opportunities
To seek passive or even broad-based exposure to emerging markets equities is to actively underweight some of the most dynamic and fastest-growing companies in the region.
Jennison Associates
Jennison's investing approach is rooted in our fundamental research and security selection; all of our portfolios are built from the bottom-up, security by security.
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Index sectors were grouped by Cyclical/Rate Sensitive, Defensive, and Secular Growth. Sectors with diverse holdings (consumer discretionary, communication services, and healthcare) were analyzed at the industry level, with each industry assigned to one of the three groups. Cyclical/Rate Sensitive includes financials, materials, communication services/diversified telecom services and wireless telecom services, energy, industrials, consumer discretionary (except internet and direct marketing), and textiles, apparel & luxury goods. Defensive includes real estate, consumer staples, health care/pharmaceuticals, and utilities. Secular Growth includes information technology, health care (except pharmaceuticals), communication services/entertainment, interactive media and services, media, consumer discretionary/internet, and direct marketing.
Information contained in this product or report is derived by Jennison in part from MSCI’s Index (the “Index Data”). However, MSCI has not reviewed this product or report, and MSCI does not endorse or express any opinion regarding this product or report or any analysis or other information contained herein or the author or source of any such information or analysis. Neither MSCI nor any third party involved in or related to the computing or compiling of the Index Data makes any express or implied warranties, representations or guarantees concerning the Index Data or any information or data derived therefrom, and in no event shall MSCI or any third party have any liability for any direct, indirect, special, punitive, consequential or any other damages (including lost profits) relating to any use of this information. Any use of the Index Data requires a direct license from MSCI. None of the Index Data is intended to constitute investment advice or a recommendation to make (or refrain from making) any kind of investment decision and may not be relied on as such.
Certain third party information in this document has been obtained from sources that Jennison believes to be reliable as of the date presented; however, Jennison cannot guarantee the accuracy of such information, assure its completeness, or warrant such information will not be changed. Jennison has no obligation to update any or all such third party information.
