The Long Term Investor

What Is The Market Portfolio—And How Should It Influence How We Invest? (EP.233)

Dec 3, 2025
Explore the concept of the global market portfolio, which reveals a surprising diversity of assets beyond just U.S. stocks and bonds. Discover why a traditional 60/40 mix can outperform more complex strategies. Learn how the U.S. came to dominate global markets and what that means for diversification. Delve into the historical shifts in asset classes and get practical advice on constructing a resilient portfolio. Finally, gain insights on using global weight as a crucial guideline for investment decisions.
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INSIGHT

What The Market Portfolio Actually Is

  • The global market portfolio is the value-weighted pie of every investable asset worldwide.
  • About 86% of that pie is public stocks and bonds, with U.S. stocks ~33% of the total and crypto ~1%.
ADVICE

Check Global Weight Before Overweighting

  • Ask how large an asset is in the global market portfolio before overweighting it.
  • Big deviations (e.g., making a 1% global asset 20% of your portfolio) should give you pause.
INSIGHT

Why 60/40 Can Outperform Owning Everything

  • A simple, rebalanced 60/40 global stock-and-bond portfolio often outperforms the full market portfolio on a risk-adjusted basis.
  • Rebalancing trims run-ups and buys laggards, improving returns per unit of volatility.
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