In the first seven months of 2022 Scottish Mortgage (LSE: SMT) shares have fallen over 40%. That’s around 10 times more than the drop in the FTSE 100 over the same period, underlining the disappointing performance. Over the past 12 months, the shares are down an equally discouraging 39%.
However, last week the shares experienced an encouraging 5% jump in value. Currently sitting at 774p per share, down almost 50% from its all-time high, is now the time for me to add Scottish Mortgage stock to my portfolio?
Why the trust has underperformed
The main reason why Scottish Mortgage shares have underperformed this year is the nature of the stocks it holds. The trust targets high-growth companies and aims to hold them for a minimum of five years to generate healthy returns. This strategy has worked well in the past, highlighted by an impressive 585% increase in the share price over this period.
However, 2022 has been characterised by rising inflation and interest rates. Rising rates put big pressure on the valuation of growth stocks, which soared in 2020 and 2021. This has caused investors to pull out of growth stocks and pour into safer value stocks. The performance of Scottish Mortgage’s top holdings has taken a hit accordingly. For example, Tesla (5.7%), NVIDIA (2.5%), and Tencent (5%) are down 37%, 47%, and 21% year to date. Although Tesla is up 9% over the past 12 months, Nvidia and Tencent are down 22%, and 34% respectively.
A buying opportunity?
2022 has proved a tough year so far for Scottish Mortgage shares. However, this volatility may only be a flash in the pan in the long run. As mentioned, the trust looks for value over a minimum five-year period – preferably longer – and its healthy past returns show the exceptional execution of this thesis. Therefore, perhaps I should be discounting the current volatility and adopting a broader outlook?
This situation seems especially prevalent in China, where Scottish Mortgage has about one-fifth of its holdings. Recently, Chinese stocks listed in the US have taken a hit due to tough regulatory rules. However, China is still a rapidly-growing economy, and having such a large stake in this growth could pay dividends in the long run.
Another positive about the fund is that it gives me access to a wide portfolio of companies all under one investment. In addition to this, I also get access to unlisted companies, like SpaceX, in which the trust holds a large position.
What I am doing now
Overall, I think that at 774p, Scottish Mortgage stock could be a great addition to my portfolio. Yes, there’s some short-term volatility that has beaten down the share price, but in my eyes, this offers me a chance to grab shares at a discount. The diversification and access to unlisted companies are big pluses too. Therefore, I’m seriously considering adding a position to my portfolio soon.