Callan periodic table of investment returns

First published in 1999, the Periodic Table of Investment Returns is patterned after Mendeleev's periodic table of the elements and shows returns for eight asset classes, ranked from best to worst. Each asset class is color-coded for easy tracking.

The chart is intended to show the importance of diversification across asset classes (stocks versus bonds), investment styles (growth versus value), capitalizations (large versus small) and equity markets (U.S. versus international).

Refer to the table below (view full size). The rankings change every year, thereby demonstrating two key principles of investing:


 * Past performance does not predict future performance.
 * Diversification: By owning the entire market (all of the asset classes), susceptibility to changes in market variations is minimized.


 * Callan Periodic Table of Investment Returns.png

Forum discussions

 * The Callan Periodic Table updated for 2012
 * Callan Table of Periodic Returns 1992-2011
 * Callan Periodic Table of Investment Returns