Overweight (Investing): Definition, Recommendations, Pros & Cons (2024)

What Is Overweight?

An overweight investment is an asset or industry sector that comprises a higher-than-normal percentage of a portfolio or an index. An investor might choose to devote a greater portion of the portfolio to a sector that seems particularly promising, or an investor might go overweight on defensive stocks and bonds at a time when prices are volatile.

Overweight and its opposite, underweight, are also used by analysts and commentators in recommendations to buy or avoid particular investments or sectors. For example, if federal defense spending is about to be increased or decreased, an analyst may recommend that an investor go overweight or underweight on defense-related companies.

In addition, many analysts attach an overweight recommendation to a stock that they believe will outperform its sector in the coming months. The alternative ratings are equal weight (for average performers) or underweight (for below-average performers).

Key Takeaways

  • Overweight is an outsized investment in a particular asset, asset type, or sector within a portfolio.
  • Overweight, rather than equal weight or underweight, also reflects an analyst's opinion that a particular stock will outperform its sector average over the next eight to 12 months.
  • Portfolio managers may overweight a stock or a sector if they think they will perform well and boost overall returns.

Understanding Overweight

Strictly speaking, overweight refers to an excess amount of an asset in a fund or investment portfolio compared to the benchmark index that it tracks.

Indexes are weighted. That is, they track the performance of a selection of stocks, each of which represents a percentage of the index that varies according to its perceived impact on the whole.

Mutual funds also are weighted, and some percentage of the fund may be devoted to cash or to interest-bearing bonds in order to reduce overall risk. This is why the performances even of index mutual funds may vary fractionally from each other and from the index itself.

The fund manager's goal is to meet or exceed the index that it is compared to. That may be achieved by overweighting or underweighting some parts of the whole.

Beating the Trend

Otherwise, there is no firm definition of overweight. It is simply a variation from the norm, whatever that might be. For example, the manager of a global technology mutual fund who foresees a downturn ahead might shift some assets, going overweight on some of the stablest blue-chip companies out there. An investor with a diversified portfolio who foresees a downturn might go overweight on interest-bearing bonds and dividend-paying stocks.

Overweight can also refer—in a looser sense—to an analyst's opinion that a stock will outperform others in its sector or the market. In this sense, it is a buy recommendation. When an analyst suggests underweighting an asset, they are saying it looks less attractive for now than other investment options.

Bucking the Norm

Portfolio managers seek to create a balanced portfolio for each investor and personalize it for that individual's risk tolerance. A younger investor with a moderate appetite for risk, for example, might be best served by a portfolio that is 60% in stocks and 40% in bonds. If the same investor then opts to move 15% more of the balance into stocks, the portfolio would be classified as overweight stocks.

A portfolio can be overweight in a sector, such as energy, or in a specific country. It may be overweight in a category, such as aggressive growth stocks or high-dividend-yielding stocks. In this context, the term overweight usually implies that the portfolio is being compared to a predefined standard or a benchmark index.

Overweighting Pros and Cons

Actively managed funds or portfolios will take an overweight position in particular securities if doing so helps them to achieve greater returns. For example, the fund manager may raise a security's weight from its normal 15% of the portfolio to 25%, in an attempt to increase the returns of the overall portfolio.

Another reason for overweighting a portfolio holding is to hedge or reduce the risk from another overweight position. Hedging involves taking an offsetting or opposite position to the related security. The most common method of hedging is through the derivative market.

For example, if you hold shares of a company currently selling at $20 per share, you may purchase a one-year expiration put option for that stock at $10. A year later, if the stock is selling at more than $10 you let the put expire, losing only the price of the purchase. Should the stock be selling for under $10, you may exercise the put and receive $10 for your shares.

The danger of overweighting one investment is that it can reduce the overall diversification of their portfolio. A reduction in diversification can expose the holding to additional market risk.

Pros

  • May increase portfolio gains, returns

  • Hedges against other overweight positions

Cons

  • Reduces portfolio diversification

  • Exposes portfolio to more risk overall

Use of Overweight in Ratings and Recommendations

When research or investment analysts designate a stock overweight, it reflects an opinion that the security will outperform its industry, its sector, or the entire market.

An analyst's rating of overweight for a retail stock would suggest that the stock will perform above the average return of the retail industry overall over the next eight to 12 months.

The alternative weighting recommendations are equal weight or underweight. Equal weight implies that the security is expected to perform in line with the index, while underweight implies that the security is expected to lag the index in question.

Overweight (Investing): Definition, Recommendations, Pros & Cons (2024)

FAQs

What is overweight in investing? ›

Overweight is an outsized investment in a particular asset, asset type, or sector within a portfolio. Overweight, rather than equal weight or underweight, also reflects an analyst's opinion that a particular stock will outperform its sector average over the next eight to 12 months.

Is it good to buy overweight stocks? ›

Financial analysts who are employed by investment firms research stocks and provide their opinions to investors about their possible future performance. Their opinion takes the form of a rating. An Overweight stock rating indicates to investors that it may be a good investment.

What are the pros and cons of investing in stocks? ›

  • Pro 1: You can make money in shares. ...
  • Con 1: You can lose money in shares. ...
  • Pro 2: It's easy to buy shares. ...
  • Con 2: Make sure you have enough funds. ...
  • Pro 3: Plenty of shares to choose from. ...
  • Con 3: You can get overexposed to risk. ...
  • Pro 4: The benefits of growth vs dividend. ...
  • Con 4: The sharemarket might crash.
Mar 16, 2022

Is overweight better than a buy rating? ›

Underperform can also be expressed as "moderate sell," "weak hold," and "underweight." Outperform: Also known as "moderate buy," "accumulate," and "overweight." Outperform is an analyst recommendation meaning a stock is expected to do slightly better than the market return.

How does overweight work? ›

Obesity is a complex issue with many causes. It's caused when extra calories are stored in the body as fat. If you consume high amounts of energy, particularly found in high fat and high sugar foods, and do not use all of the energy through physical activity, much of the extra energy will be stored in the body as fat.

What is the overweight rule? ›

If your BMI is 18.5 to <25, it falls within the healthy weight range. If your BMI is 25.0 to <30, it falls within the overweight range. If your BMI is 30.0 or higher, it falls within the obesity range.

Is overweight bullish or bearish? ›

An overweight stock rating is an analyst's assessment that various factors, such as favorable news or earnings, are likely to bolster a stock's performance. This bullish recommendation implies that the stock has the potential to outperform other stocks in the same industry or the market as a whole.

What is considered overweight in stocks? ›

Definition 1: If a particular stock is selling for $500 and the analyst feels that the stock is worth $600, the analyst would be declaring the stock to be overweight. Definition 2: Suppose that Technology stocks make up 10% of the relevant stock index by market value.

Is owning 50 stocks too much? ›

Can you over-diversify a portfolio? Yes. Holding 50 stocks rather than 25 may lower your downside risk somewhat, but it can also reduce your profit potential. And at that point, it may be better to consider investing through an index fund, or even a combination of several sector-based funds.

What are 5 cons of investing? ›

Cons of investing in stocks
  • Costs. Stock purchases typically involve commissions and fees, which can consume a large portion of your investment. ...
  • Volatility. Stock prices can fluctuate dramatically over short periods, sometimes within just minutes or hours. ...
  • Lack of control. ...
  • Information risk. ...
  • Liquidity risk. ...
  • Counterparty risk.
Oct 5, 2022

What are the cons of investing in stocks? ›

Disadvantages of investing in stocks Stocks have some distinct disadvantages of which individual investors should be aware: Stock prices are risky and volatile. Prices can be erratic, rising and declining quickly, often in relation to companies' policies, which individual investors do not influence.

Is it better to save money or invest in stocks? ›

Saving is definitely safer than investing, though it will likely not result in the most wealth accumulated over the long run. Here are just a few of the benefits that investing your cash comes with: Investing products such as stocks can have much higher returns than savings accounts and CDs.

What's worse being under or overweight? ›

Excess weight or obesity boosts risk of death by anywhere from 22% to 91%—significantly more than previously believed—while the mortality risk of being slightly underweight has likely been overestimated, according to new CU Boulder research. The findings, published Feb.

Which stocks are undervalued now? ›

Check Now!
  • Meghmani Finechem Ltd. (S) 9.3% 4.3. 39.0. ...
  • Jagran Prakashan Ltd. (S) 7.0% 1.3. -5.9. ...
  • Emami Ltd. (S) 5.6% 19.1. 18.1. ...
  • ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Ltd. (L) 3.8% 25.8. ...
  • Exide Industries Ltd. (S) 3.7% 1.6. ...
  • Bandhan Bank Ltd. (M) 2.1. 7.9. ...
  • Thyrocare Technologies Ltd. (S) 39.2. 33.3. ...
  • Metropolis Healthcare Ltd. (S) 48.4. 23.1.

What stock has the strongest buy rating? ›

Best Strong Buy Stocks To Invest In
  • Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (NYSE:PANW) ...
  • Danaher Corporation (NYSE:DHR) Average Upside Potential as of March 20: 24.93% ...
  • Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO) ...
  • T-Mobile US, Inc. (NYSE:TMUS) ...
  • ServiceNow, Inc. ...
  • S&P Global Inc. ...
  • The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) ...
  • UnitedHealth Group Inc.
Mar 20, 2023

What percentage is overweight? ›

Obesity in adults

It's estimated that a little over 42% of American adults have obesity, while about 30.7% are overweight. Overall, more than two-thirds of U.S. adults in the United States are overweight or have obesity.

How much does it cost to be overweight? ›

Obesity costs the US healthcare system nearly $173 billion a year.

How many Americans are overweight? ›

Adults. Nearly 1 in 3 adults (30.7%) are overweight. More than 1 in 3 men (34.1%) and more than 1 in 4 women (27.5%) are overweight. More than 2 in 5 adults (42.4%) have obesity (including severe obesity).

Am I overweight if I'm 200 pounds? ›

Normal or healthy weight is indicated by a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9, overweight is between 25 and 29.9, and obese is 30 and above. For the majority of people who are less than 6 feet 4 inches tall, weighing more than 200 lbs would place them in the “overweight” or “obese” category, according to BMI calculations.

Is 50 pounds overweight considered obese? ›

BMI is calculated based on a relationship between a person's height and weight. Although there is some debate among the authorities, the World Health Organization classifies “obesity” as a BMI of between 30 and 39.9, “morbid obesity” as a BMI of between 40 and 49.9, and “super obesity” as a BMI of over 50.

Is 30 pounds overweight obese? ›

A BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight. A BMI of 30 and above is considered obese. Individuals who fall into the BMI range of 25 to 34.9, and have a waist size of over 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women, are considered to be at especially high risk for health problems.

Does overweight mean overvalued? ›

If an analyst rates a stock as “overweight,” they think that the stock will perform well in the future. They believe it is worth buying, as it could outperform the broader market and other stocks in its sector. 1 On the flip side, an “underweight” rating means they think future performance will be poor.

What does JP Morgan overweight mean? ›

When JP Morgan issues an overweight rating for a particular asset, that means that the analyst at that firm thinks the asset they've chosen is likely to rise over a set period of time. Overweight ratings mean that investors should consider increasing the amount of an asset in their portfolio.

Am I under or overweight? ›

Adult BMI Calculator
BMIWeight Status
Below 18.5Underweight
18.5—24.9Healthy Weight
25.0—29.9Overweight
30.0 and AboveObesity

Is Tesla overweight? ›

Tesla (TSLA) gets reiterated “Overweight” rating from Morgan Stanley.

What is the best way to weight stocks? ›

The calculation is simple enough. Simply divide each of your stock position's cash value by your total portfolio value, and then multiply by 100 to convert to a percentage. These weights tell you how dependent your portfolio's performance is on each of your individual stocks.

Is it OK to be 100% in stocks? ›

In theory, young people investing for retirement should absolutely have 100% of their portfolio invested in equities. The biggest risk in the stock market is a crash which brings lower prices. Your best-case scenario as a young saver/investor is that you get to put more savings to work at lower prices.

How much should a 50 year old have in stocks? ›

As you reach your 50s, consider allocating 60% of your portfolio to stocks and 40% to bonds. Adjust those numbers according to your risk tolerance. If risk makes you nervous, decrease the stock percentage and increase the bond percentage.

Is 100% stocks a bad idea? ›

Another problem with the 100% equities strategy is that it provides little or no protection against the two greatest threats to any long-term pool of money: inflation and deflation. Inflation is a rise in general price levels that erodes the purchasing power of your portfolio.

What investments should I avoid? ›

13 Toxic Investments You Should Avoid
  • Subprime Mortgages. ...
  • Annuities. ...
  • Penny Stocks. ...
  • High-Yield Bonds. ...
  • Private Placements. ...
  • Traditional Savings Accounts at Major Banks. ...
  • The Investment Your Neighbor Just Doubled His Money On. ...
  • The Lottery.
6 days ago

What are 4 common investment mistakes? ›

  • Buying high and selling low. ...
  • Trading too much and too often. ...
  • Paying too much in fees and commissions. ...
  • Focusing too much on taxes. ...
  • Expecting too much or using someone else's expectations. ...
  • Not having clear investment goals. ...
  • Failing to diversify enough. ...
  • Focusing on the wrong kind of performance.

What are the top 5 mistakes investors make? ›

Mallouk defines the five most common investment missteps—market timing, active trading, misunderstanding performance and financial information, letting yourself get in the way, and working with the wrong investment advisor—and includes detailed information on how to dodge the most common investing pitfalls.

Which asset is the most liquid? ›

Cash is the most liquid asset possible as it is already in the form of money. This includes physical cash, savings account balances, and checking account balances.

What is the main risk of stocks? ›

Investment Products

But there are no guarantees of profits when you buy stock, which makes stock one of the most risky investments. If a company doesn't do well or falls out of favor with investors, its stock can fall in price, and investors could lose money.

Why bonds are better than stocks? ›

Bonds are relatively safer. Because they're a debt security, they function as an IOU. The company pays you interest, and once the bond matures, you get your principal bank. Bonds aren't completely risk-free; there is the possibility of the issuer defaulting on its bonds or inflation reducing the value of the bond.

How much do I need to save to be a millionaire in 5 years? ›

How to become a millionaire in 5 years
Account balanceCumulative amount invested
After two years$354,549$315,660
After three years$553,370$473,490
After four years$768,096$631,320
After five years$1,000,000$789,150
2 more rows
Apr 10, 2023

Is it better to keep cash or put it in the bank? ›

But putting your money into a savings account is a much better bet for a few reasons. First, when you keep physical cash around, you never know when it might get lost or stolen. You might, for example, take some bills out of your cash jar to count them, only to accidentally drop a $20 behind your dresser.

What is better than a savings account? ›

Certificates of Deposit

If you're prepared to stow away your savings for a set period of time in exchange for a greater interest rate, a certificate of deposit (CD) can be a better option than a traditional savings account.

How much weight can you lose before your body shuts down? ›

In anorexia, death from organ failure or myocardial infarction is fairly common (up to 20 percent of cases end this way) and tends to happen when body weight has fallen to between 60 and 80 pounds (although it can occur at any time).

What are 3 potential health consequences of being overweight? ›

High blood pressure (hypertension). High LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, or high levels of triglycerides (dyslipidemia). Type 2 diabetes. Coronary heart disease.

How risky is being overweight? ›

Carrying extra fat leads to serious health consequences such as cardiovascular disease (mainly heart disease and stroke), type 2 diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders like osteoarthritis, and some cancers (endometrial, breast and colon). These conditions cause premature death and substantial disability.

What stock never loses value? ›

Despite what you might read on social media, stocks that never go down don't exist. If you want a completely safe investment with no chance you'll lose money, Treasury securities or certificates of deposit (CDs) may be your best bet.

Which share is best to buy today under $100? ›

stocks under 100
S.No.NameCMP Rs.
1.I O C L91.90
2.IDFC First Bank81.30
3.Union Bank (I)71.50
4.I R F C33.00
23 more rows

What stocks to buy during this downturn? ›

9 Best Recession Stocks Of 2023
  • The Best Recession Stocks of June 2023.
  • Becton, Dickinson and Company (BDX)
  • Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. ( TMO)
  • Merck & Company, Inc. ( MRK)
  • PepsiCo, Inc. ( PEP)
  • CMS Energy Corporation (CMS)
  • Ameren Corporation (AEE)
  • Xcel Energy Inc. ( XEL)
Jun 1, 2023

What is the most successful stock of all time? ›

The Most Successful Stocks Of All Time
Institutional InvestorNo. of Shares
Berkshire Hathaway915.56 million
State Street576.28 million
Geode Capital Management285.17 million
Fisher Asset Management52.35 million
1 more row
Jun 12, 2023

What stock to buy to beat inflation? ›

Commodities like gold, oil, and even soybeans should increase in price along with the finished products that are made with them. Inflation-indexed bonds and Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS), tend to increase their returns with inflationary pressures.

Is overweight the same as sell? ›

While overweight means the analyst thinks that investors should assign a higher weighting to the stock in portfolios or funds, underweight is the opposite. Underweight is a sell or "don't buy" recommendation that analysts give to specific stocks.

What percentile is overweight? ›

BMI CategoryBMI Range
Healthy Weight5th percentile to less than the 85th percentile
Overweight85th percentile to less than the 95th percentile
Obesity95th percentile or greater
Severe Obesity120% of the 95th percentile or greater OR 35 kg/m2 or greater
1 more row
Mar 21, 2023

Is it worse to be under or overweight? ›

Excess weight or obesity boosts risk of death by anywhere from 22% to 91%—significantly more than previously believed—while the mortality risk of being slightly underweight has likely been overestimated, according to new CU Boulder research. The findings, published Feb.

What is the best way to tell if a stock is overvalued? ›

Price-book ratio (P/B)

To calculate it, divide the market price per share by the book value per share. A stock could be overvalued if the P/B ratio is higher than 1.

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