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Highlights in the Blog

  • U.S. stocks took the biggest hit following the tariff announcements.
  • Super-Diversification remains fractionally positive year-to-date even after Thursday’s declines.
  • Many investments other than U.S. stocks are performing much better year-to-date.

The Day After (Thursday April 3rd)

The tariff announcements shook investors Thursday with U.S. stocks getting hit the hardest. Large stocks, measured by the S&P 500, were down -4.8%, mid-sized stocks fell -5.4%, and small stocks did even worse with a loss of -6.4% (illustrated by the three grey bars on the left in the below graph).

Other investments experienced much smaller declines including international stocks, gold, and Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (all the orange bars) while U.S. government bonds actually moved higher.

Asset Classes in Super-Diversification April 3, 2025 Performance

Asset class performance source: U.S. Large-Cap: ETF SPY; U.S. Mid-Cap: ETF IWR; U.S. Small-Cap: ETF IWM; Intl Developed: ETF EFA; Intl Emerging: ETF VWO; Real Estate: ETF VNQ; Commodities: ETF PDBC; Gold: ETF IAU; Berkshire Hathaway: BRK.B; Bonds (mid-term govt): ETF IEF; Patton Flex Strategy: composite average of strategy performance. www.YCharts.com is the source of all ETF and stock prices through the April 3, 3025 close at 4:00 pm Eastern.

Markets like this are a good reminder that diversification among different types and sizes of U.S. stocks alone is just not enough…this often provides little or no protection or diversification benefits. Diversification though among stocks globally along with other assets such as real estate and gold provides much more protection and diversification benefits. This is the value of Super-Diversification.

Super-Diversification Remains Higher Year-to-Date

There has been a non-stop flood of headlines and news events in 2025 driving markets up and down including Thursday’s (April 3rd) big selloff. Even with all of this, including the losses on Thursday, our Super-Diversified portfolios remain higher year-to-date albeit by just a fraction of a percent. During the same time the S&P 500 is off -8.2% and the NASDAQ is lower by -14.3%.

Super-Diversification is a composite average of all Patton clients with a growth-oriented portfolio risk profile through April 2, 2025. April 3, 2025 performance is based on 4 client portfolios that are representative of all those included in our composite average.

Performance year-to-date is similar to Thursday’s performance in that U.S. stocks are the worst performers, all meaningfully negative, while everything else in our Super-Diversified portfolios are doing much better (see graph below).

Asset Classes in Super-Diversification Year-to-Date Performance through April 3, 2025

Asset class performance source: U.S. Large-Cap: ETF SPY; U.S. Mid-Cap: ETF IWR; U.S. Small-Cap: ETF IWM; Intl Developed: ETF EFA; Intl Emerging: ETF VWO; Real Estate: ETF VNQ; Commodities: ETF PDBC; Gold: ETF IAU; Berkshire Hathaway: BRK.B; Bonds (mid-term govt): ETF IEF; Patton Flex Strategy: composite average of strategy performance.

To be clear, the negative performance of U.S. stocks does not change my love for U.S. stocks…it’s just that I love diversification more! Diversification, especially Super-Diversification, has proven to deliver benefits that investors tend to desire of less risk of loss and lower volatility while still delivering strong long-term performance.

Conclusion

I do not know what the ultimate tariffs will look like, how long they will be in place, or what kind of economic and stock market impact they will have. I do know that our Super-Diversified portfolios are built to weather through such environments. Although today’s news headlines and events are different from those in the past, Super-Diversification is doing what it was built to do…provide us with some downside protection and keeping us invested so that we can capture long-term gains.

Please know that I am constantly evaluating and re-evaluating our investment strategy and alternative strategies. I remain convinced, based both upon historical research and real-time experience, that the principles and math that are Super-Diversification position all of us well in both times like now and otherwise.

My advice: stay invested, turn off the news, and enjoy your life! I promise that I’m doing enough thinking about this for all of us!

Contact Mark A. Patton :

The information provided here is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered an individualized recommendation or personalized investment advice. Any specific securities or investment strategies mentioned here may not be suitable for everyone. Each investor needs to review an investment strategy for his or her own situation before making any investment decision including whether to retain an investment adviser.

All expressions of opinion are subject to change without notice in reaction to shifting market, economic or political conditions.  Data contained herein from third party providers is obtained from what are considered reliable sources. However, its accuracy, completeness or reliability cannot be guaranteed. This content was created as of the specific date indicated and reflects the author’s views as of that date. Supporting documentation for any claims or statistical information is available upon request.

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