Markets
Visualizing the World’s Largest Sovereign Wealth Fund
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/>The World’s Largest Sovereign Wealth Fund
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Norway is home to the biggest sovereign wealth fund globally, valued at nearly $1.4 trillion.
In 2023, the fund posted record profits, bolstered by tech holdings that include Microsoft, Apple, and Nvidia. Originating in 1996, the fund was created to invest surplus earnings from its massive energy sector—where it ranks as the fourth-largest exporter of natural gas in the world.
This graphic breaks down the portfolio of Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, based on data from Global SWF.
Portfolio Breakdown of Norway’s Sovereign Wealth Fund
Here’s how the fund, Norges Bank Investment Management, invests its portfolio according to asset type:
| Asset Class | Value | Percentage of Portfolio |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed Income | $374B | 27.1% |
| Equities | $973B | 70.5% |
| Real Estate | $30B | 2.2% |
| Infrastructure | $3B | 0.2% |
Infrastructure holdings as of Sept 2023. Fixed income and equity holdings as of June 2023. Real estate holdings as of Dec 2022.
As we can see, the majority of the fund is invested in equities, with a 70.5% share of the portfolio.
Overall, the fund invests in 9,000 companies worldwide, with the highest exposure across North American firms. As the table below shows, the top five holdings in the portfolio are heavily concentrated in the tech sector:
| Equities | Value |
|---|---|
| Apple | $33B |
| Microsoft | $31B |
| Alphabet | $16B |
| Amazon | $14B |
| Nvidia | $12B |
Apple is the portfolio’s largest equity holding, worth $33 billion. Last year, the tech giant witnessed 45% returns.
The next largest asset type is fixed income, which makes up 27.1% of the portfolio. The greatest share is held in government bonds, but the fund also invests a portion in debt issued from the corporate sector. Here are the top fixed income holdings across the portfolio:
| Fixed Income | Value |
|---|---|
| U.S. Treasuries | $103B |
| Japanese Treasuries | $33B |
| German Treasuries | $17B |
| UK Treasuries | $12B |
| French Treasuries | $11B |
In addition to equities and fixed income, the fund invests in real estate and infrastructure.
This covers 890 investments globally which are found mainly in office and retail sectors. In fact, between 2012 and 2022, these investments have grown over eightfold to $33 billion—which include a 25% ownership in London’s Regent Street, one of the city’s busiest shopping districts with over 7.5 million visitors annually.
Markets
The European Stock Market: Attractive Valuations Offer Opportunities
On average, the European stock market has valuations that are nearly 50% lower than U.S. valuations. But how can you access the market?
European Stock Market: Attractive Valuations Offer Opportunities
Europe is known for some established brands, from L’Oréal to Louis Vuitton. However, the European stock market offers additional opportunities that may be lesser known.
The above infographic, sponsored by STOXX, outlines why investors may want to consider European stocks.
Attractive Valuations
Compared to most North American and Asian markets, European stocks offer lower or comparable valuations.
| Index | Price-to-Earnings Ratio | Price-to-Book Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| EURO STOXX 50 | 14.9 | 2.2 |
| STOXX Europe 600 | 14.4 | 2 |
| U.S. | 25.9 | 4.7 |
| Canada | 16.1 | 1.8 |
| Japan | 15.4 | 1.6 |
| Asia Pacific ex. China | 17.1 | 1.8 |
Data as of February 29, 2024. See graphic for full index names. Ratios based on trailing 12 month financials. The price to earnings ratio excludes companies with negative earnings.
On average, European valuations are nearly 50% lower than U.S. valuations, potentially offering an affordable entry point for investors.
Research also shows that lower price ratios have historically led to higher long-term returns.
Market Movements Not Closely Connected
Over the last decade, the European stock market had low-to-moderate correlation with North American and Asian equities.
The below chart shows correlations from February 2014 to February 2024. A value closer to zero indicates low correlation, while a value of one would indicate that two regions are moving in perfect unison.
| EURO STOXX 50 | STOXX EUROPE 600 | U.S. | Canada | Japan | Asia Pacific ex. China |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EURO STOXX 50 | 1.00 | 0.97 | 0.55 | 0.67 | 0.24 | 0.43 |
| STOXX EUROPE 600 | 1.00 | 0.56 | 0.71 | 0.28 | 0.48 | |
| U.S. | 1.00 | 0.73 | 0.12 | 0.25 | ||
| Canada | 1.00 | 0.22 | 0.40 | |||
| Japan | 1.00 | 0.88 | ||||
| Asia Pacific ex. China | 1.00 |
Data is based on daily USD returns.
European equities had relatively independent market movements from North American and Asian markets. One contributing factor could be the differing sector weights in each market. For instance, technology makes up a quarter of the U.S. market, but health care and industrials dominate the broader European market.
Ultimately, European equities can enhance portfolio diversification and have the potential to mitigate risk for investors.
Tracking the Market
For investors interested in European equities, STOXX offers a variety of flagship indices:
| Index | Description | Market Cap |
|---|---|---|
| STOXX Europe 600 | Pan-regional, broad market | €10.5T |
| STOXX Developed Europe | Pan-regional, broad-market | €9.9T |
| STOXX Europe 600 ESG-X | Pan-regional, broad market, sustainability focus | €9.7T |
| STOXX Europe 50 | Pan-regional, blue-chip | €5.1T |
| EURO STOXX 50 | Eurozone, blue-chip | €3.5T |
Data is as of February 29, 2024. Market cap is free float, which represents the shares that are readily available for public trading on stock exchanges.
The EURO STOXX 50 tracks the Eurozone’s biggest and most traded companies. It also underlies one of the world’s largest ranges of ETFs and mutual funds. As of November 2023, there were €27.3 billion in ETFs and €23.5B in mutual fund assets under management tracking the index.
“For the past 25 years, the EURO STOXX 50 has served as an accurate, reliable and tradable representation of the Eurozone equity market.”
— Axel Lomholt, General Manager at STOXX
Partnering with STOXX to Track the European Stock Market
Are you interested in European equities? STOXX can be a valuable partner:
- Comprehensive, liquid and investable ecosystem
- European heritage, global reach
- Highly sophisticated customization capabilities
- Open architecture approach to using data
- Close partnerships with clients
- Part of ISS STOXX and Deutsche Börse Group
With a full suite of indices, STOXX can help you benchmark against the European stock market.
Learn how STOXX’s European indices offer liquid and effective market access.
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