Fundamental Risks
All strategies have risks. After all, you don ’ t get returns for taking on zero
risk. The key is to understand them and be sure they are worth taking.
Here are some key risks:
Concentration risk. Funds with a high percentage of assets in their top
holdings aren ’ t necessarily riskier than other funds, but they can be.
Some take on a lot of individual stock risk. For example, if a fund has
a stock position over 10 percent or a few over 5 percent, it ’ s more vulnerable
to problems at an individual company than other funds would
be. See Oakmark Select ’ s (OAKLX) problems from a huge bet on
Washington Mutual, for example. The fund had a 16 percent weighting
in the stock when it was trading for around $ 50, and it didn ’ t get
out until around $ 3 or $ 4 a share, just before regulators seized Wamu.
Interestingly, some other funds — such as Fairholme (FAIRX), Longleaf
Partners (LLPFX), and FPA Capital (FPACX)—have muted that risk
by holding a big cash stake.
Sector risk. Besides having a lot in a single stock, a sizable weighting in
a single sector runs big risks because sometimes everything in an industry
goes in the tank at the same time. When a fund has more than 30
percent in a sector, it ’ s courting sector risk. Marsico Focus (MFOCX)
has significant stock risk, but manager Tom Marsico is careful to diversify
among sectors so that one industry can ’ t take the fund down.