Sector Investing: How to Pick Stocks in Different Industries?

Introduction to Sector Investing

Diversify your stock investment portfolio. Have you heard all the experts saying it over and over again? Innumerable times, right? But, out of the countless opportunities you have on offer, what strategy do you apply to identify the ideal stocks? Here comes one of the easiest and best approaches, Sector investing.

Yes. By using this strategy, you can not only diversify your portfolio but also improve your profits from stocks. Every listed company falls into a sector in the stock market. Companies belonging to an industry are a part of the sector. All you have to do is select the stocks based on their industry classification. 

So, what is this strategy, and how can you make the most of it? Can you successfully design a balanced portfolio that matches your risk tolerance and financial goals using Sector Investing? You will find out in this blog.

Understanding Different Market Sectors

Now that you understand what a sector is and how it is formed, it’s time to know how many sectors are in the share market. Companies in the Indian stock market are divided into primary sectors according to the industry they belong to. For example, TCS is an IT company. So, it is grouped in the Information Technology Sector and so on.

There are 11 primary sectors identified in the Indian stock market. So, what are the 11 investment sectors? Here’s the list:

Sector	Description
Information Technology	Companies operating in the IT industry are related to software development and other IT-related services. Examples:TCSWiproInfosysHCL
Healthcare	The pharma giants, biotechnology companies, and healthcare providers are all covered by this sector. Examples:Apollo hospitalsSun PharmaCiplaReligare
Financials	Banks and financial institutions are included in this sector in the stock market. It also covers insurance companies and financial services firms. Examples:State Bank of IndiaHDFC BankBajaj FinanceTata CapitalLICHDFC Life insurance
Consumer Discretionary	Companies that sell luxury items like automobiles, consumer durables, and retail items are covered in this sector. Examples:Maruti SuzukiM&MBajajGodrejSamsung
Consumer Staples	Food and personal care items of regular use are covered under this sector in the stock market. So, all the FMCG Companies also form part of this sector. Examples:ITCHindustan UnileverPatanjali FoodsNestle
Energy	All companies related to the oil, gas, and renewable energy businesses are a part of this sector. Examples:NTPCTata PowerAdani PowerReliance IndustriesJSW EnergySuzlon Energy
Industrials	This sector consists of businesses that produce capital goods and heavy machinery used as raw materials or equipment to produce other goods. Aerospace and defense companies are also a part of this sector. Examples:Tata SteelHALHindalcoJSW SteelAshok Leyland
Materials	Companies that mine and produce raw materials form a part of this sector in the stock market. Examples:L&THCCUltratech CementJK CementNMDC
Utilities	Service providers for essentials like water, natural gas, electricity, etc., are a part of this sector. Examples:NTPCPowergridIndian OilBPCLHPCL
Real Estate	Housing and commercial real estate development is the primary focus of companies belonging to this sector. Examples:DLFPrestige Estates ProjectsIndiabulls Real EstateGodrej Properties
Telecommunication Services	The Telecom sector in the stock market consists of all companies providing telecom services for residential and commercial purposes. Examples:Bharti AirtelVodafone IdeaTata Comm

Benefits of Sector Investing

At this point, you are well acquainted with various Sectors in the Indian stock markets. But, why should you choose sector investing in the first place? Here are its advantages:

Targeted Exposure

Not all industries grow at the same time. Depending on many factors, such as market conditions, consumer preferences, government policies, etc., certain industries outperform the market. Sector investing can help you identify and target those sectors to maximize your profits.

Diversification

Instead of investing in one sector in the stock market, you can strategize to pick companies from different sectors. It will help you diversify the risk of your portfolio and reduce the overall risk.

Sector Rotation

Once you have created your first portfolio, you can use stock market sector rotation. In other words, you can drop and pick sectors based on market conditions. Always review and make changes to your portfolio.

Growth Potential

Some sectors show immensely high growth during a time phase. Like, it is the age of IT, and sector investing says that you should definitely invest in them.

How to Analyze Industry Trends

To pick the right sectors in the stock market for investing, you should analyze the industry trends. By doing so, you can find out how each sector would perform. Here’s how you can analyze trends:

Economic cycles

Economies are not stable. They always go through cycles of ups and downs. The performance of a sector in the stock market depends on the effect the economic cycle has on it.

Technological advances

There is continuous research in the fields of technology and healthcare. Every now and then, successful research gives rise to technological advancement. You should keep an eye out for the sectors that win due to innovation. And voila!

Government policies

Companies belonging to a sector can be significantly impacted by the change in government policies. The most affected sectors are energy, financials, and healthcare.

Global trends

In the post-globalization world, local trends usually follow global trends. If you want to use the sector investing technique successfully, study which sectors will be affected.

Key Metrics for Evaluating Stocks by Sector

Once you have picked the ideal sectors, what metrics should you look for to identify the best stocks in that sector? Here are some fundamental financials you should consider:

• P/E Ratio
• Dividend Yield
• Debt-to-Equity Ratio
• Return on Equity (ROE)

Top Strategies for Sector Diversification

After your research is complete, how are you going to divide your investment using sector investing? Here are some strategies you can use:

Equal Weightage

You can spread your investments evenly among different sectors. It saves you from overexposure in one sector.

Cyclical vs Defensive

Sectors that perform according to the economic cycles are cyclical sectors like technology and consumer discretionary. On the other hand, defensive sectors such as healthcare and utilities perform well in economic downturns. Balancing your portfolio with both can help you ace sector investing.

Geographical Diversification

You can invest in the same sectors in India and foreign markets. Spreading your investments geographically can help you diversify.

Sectoral Funds

If you don’t want to go through the pain of research, you can invest in Sectoral Funds. These are sector-specific mutual funds or ETFs. Instead of individual companies, you can get exposure in the entire sector.

Risks and Challenges of Sector Investing

Let’s discuss the risks associated with sector investing:

Concentration risk

If you concentrate your investments into one sector and it underperforms, you are at a very high risk.

Sector volatility

Trends and government policies can cause high volatility and sharp price changes.

Over-reliance on trends

Trends are short-lived. If you rely on them too much and the sector faces a major and unexpected downturn, it can hurt more.

Economic sensitivity

Economic cycles or developments affect sectors. Some more than others. It is good to be wary about it to avoid unnecessary scares.

Conclusion: Making Informed Sector Investment Choices

Sector investing can help you maximize your returns by investing in different sectors. This strategy inherently allows you to diversify. By understanding how each sector in the stock market is affected by economic factors, government policies, etc, you can devise a winning strategy. However, it is important to steer clear of the risks that sector investing poses. Managing your investments actively can help you overcome any risks to your portfolio.