Expand your trading horizons

Multi-asset trading can mean more opportunities and flexibility

When it comes to the markets, opportunity doesn’t only knock once. Every market brings multiple trading opportunities – and risks. Fortunately, there’s a way to both expand your trading opportunities and control your risk with one simple strategy: diversification. 

- Grab opportunities

Traders have a habit of finding a niche – often their home stock market – and putting all of their capital to work in one area. While it’s easy to stick to your home turf, it also means you could be missing out on trading opportunities in other markets just over the horizon. 

Remember the summer rally in gold in 2019 or the recent spate of unicorn IPOs? Step outside your niche and you’ll find there’s always a bull market somewhere – potentially offering even better returns. 

- Diversification 101

If you trade stocks, you can diversify by looking at different sectors and regions, or you can branch out even more with assets such as bonds, currencies or commodities. That’s exactly what the major asset managers do to maximise their returns and build strong portfolios. Wherever you venture, just be sure to do your research and stick to your overall trading plan.

- Take control of risk

As a trader, your most important job is not to catch the big moves or let your winners run. Your job is to grow and protect your capital. And with risk becoming the new normal, it’s critical that you build a portfolio that can withstand every headline, tweetstorm or economic announcement that the market might throw at you.

Controlling risk isn’t as daunting as you may think. When you diversify, you’ll also be implementing basic risk management. By gaining exposure to more sectors, regions and markets, you reduce concentration risk – being overly weighted in (and sensitive to moves within) one type of investment – and ensure your portfolio has the balance it needs. 

Whether you choose “safe haven” investments such as government or corporate bonds or diversify into popular commodities like oil or gold, multi-asset trading can help keep risk in check – and put more opportunities at your fingertips.

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