Is Home Country Bias Bad?

VIDEO: We explore the pros and cons of having a high exposure to stocks and shares in your home country

Sunniva Kolostyak 10 October, 2022 | 11:31AM
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn

 

 

Sunniva Kolostyak: Welcome to Morningstar's personal finance minutes. This week, we are looking at whether home country bias is bad for investing.

So, home country bias is when investors are overexposed to domestic equities in their investment portfolio. Historically, it used to happen because these were the companies people had access to information on. Now, we have access to endless information, but the effect is still the same, and people tend to invest in the companies they know and sometimes have an emotional connection to.

Of course, there are both pros and cons for home bias. Here are some of the positives. You're avoiding currency risk by spending local currency. There could also be tax benefits to keeping assets within your borders. And markets are increasingly moving in tandem, so global diversification does not offer the same benefits as it once used to.

On the negative side, there's the issue of diversification across sectors. The UK market, for example, does not have the same exposure to technology as the US does. And we're still impacted by our own economies, and in poor economic conditions, both our jobs and portfolio could be at risk. So, by ensuring our eggs are spread across different baskets, a significant portion of risk is mitigated.

For Morningstar, I'm Sunniva Kolostyak.

The information contained within is for educational and informational purposes ONLY. It is not intended nor should it be considered an invitation or inducement to buy or sell a security or securities noted within nor should it be viewed as a communication intended to persuade or incite you to buy or sell security or securities noted within. Any commentary provided is the opinion of the author and should not be considered a personalised recommendation. The information contained within should not be a person's sole basis for making an investment decision. Please contact your financial professional before making an investment decision.

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn

About Author

Sunniva Kolostyak

Sunniva Kolostyak  is data journalist for Morningstar.co.uk

© Copyright 2024 Morningstar, Inc. All rights reserved.

Terms of Use        Privacy Policy        Modern Slavery Statement        Cookie Settings        Disclosures