Diversification alone is failing investors, warns deVere
Markets are sending an “utterly mixed bag of signals” as stocks wobble, bonds grind higher and crypto still struggles to find footing, underscoring that diversification is no longer enough – investors need “purposeful diversification” to safeguard returns and manage risk.
This is the warning from James Green, investment director of global financial advisory giant deVere Group, as cross-asset moves over the past week expose weaknesses in traditional portfolio construction.
US equities have edged higher over the last five trading days, with the S&P 500 up roughly 1% for the week despite increased sector volatility.
Yet beneath the surface, leadership remains narrow and tech names have shown renewed instability.
At the same time, long-dated US Treasuries have rallied, with the iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF climbing more than 2% over the week as yields eased back toward the 4.1% level on the 10-year.
Crypto markets tell a different story. Bitcoin has fallen close to 9% over the same period, sliding from the low-$70,000s to the mid-$60,000s, highlighting continued sensitivity to liquidity conditions and investor positioning.
Precious metals add further complexity. Gold, after surging earlier this year, experienced a sharp pullback of more than 7% from recent highs before stabilising. Silver has been even more volatile, suffering significantly steeper percentage declines during the correction phase before partially recovering.
The scale of silver’s swings has far exceeded gold’s, reflecting its dual role as both a monetary and industrial metal and its thinner liquidity profile.
Investors looking at those moves might say diversification is working because different assets are moving in different directions,” says James Green.
“But the reality is more nuanced. Diversification by label — equities, bonds, gold, crypto – doesn’t automatically mean diversification by risk driver.”
He explains that traditional portfolios are often more concentrated than they appear.
Multiple equity funds frequently share exposure to the same US mega-cap growth names. Bond allocations are often heavily duration-sensitive. Gold and silver positions may both be responding primarily to real-rate expectations and US dollar moves. Crypto remains closely tied to global liquidity and regulatory tone.
“When markets shift quickly, correlations change,” explains the investment director.
“Assets that once offset each other can move together. Others can swing violently on positioning alone. The last week shows how easily a portfolio that looks balanced can still deliver unexpected volatility.”
The rally in long bonds alongside uneven equity performance has helped some portfolios.
However, bond sensitivity to yield changes remains elevated at current levels. A modest move in yields can translate into significant price shifts in longer-duration holdings.
Meanwhile, precious metals are no longer behaving as simple defensive hedges.
Gold’s correction after a strong run higher demonstrates how positioning and profit-taking can override safe-haven narratives. Silver’s amplified drawdowns underline the risk of assuming all precious metals provide identical protection.
“Purposeful diversification means identifying exactly what risk each asset protects against,” James Green continues.
“Does it hedge inflation? Does it benefit from slowing growth? Is it sensitive to dollar weakness? Or is it exposed to the same macro driver as the rest of the portfolio?”
He stresses that investors should “examine portfolios through the lens of underlying economic forces rather than asset categories alone.”
Growth , inflation exposure, duration risk, currency exposure and liquidity dependence are the real variables that determine outcomes.
“Diversification remains essential,” James Green concludes. “But it must now be intentional, geopolitically aware and data-driven.
“Investors who focus on spreading capital across distinct risk drivers — rather than simply across asset classes – these days can be expected to stand a stronger chance of protecting capital and improving long-term returns.”