Investment
Benzinga

What is Long Short Equity?

July 17, 2025
07:25 PM
5 min read
AI Enhanced
investmentmoneystocksfinancialtechhealthcaremarket cyclesseasonal analysis

Key Takeaways

The post What is Long Short Equity? by Vandita Jadeja appeared first on Benzinga. Visit Benzinga to get more great content like this. One way that big investors try to mitigate risk and maximize retur...

Article Overview

Quick insights and key information

Reading Time

5 min read

Estimated completion

Category

investment

Article classification

Published

July 17, 2025

07:25 PM

Source

Benzinga

Original publisher

Key Topics
investmentmoneystocksfinancialtechhealthcaremarket cyclesseasonal analysis

Market analysis reveals It's worth noting that One way that big investors try to mitigate risk and maximize returns is to play both the ups and downs of the market through a strategy known as long-short equity

Conversely, The formula is simple, but making it pay off may require the kind of resources available to hedge funds and other more sophisticated investors, given current economic conditions

Here’s how long-short equity works

Table of ContentsUnderstanding Long-Short EquityHow Long-Short Equity WorksEquity Market-Neutral Strategies vs

On the other hand, Long-ShortSee All 5 ItemsUnderstanding Long-Short EquitySimply put, a long-short equity strategy involves taking a long position in undervalued stocks that are expected to rise and a short position in overvalued stocks that are expected to drop (something worth watching)

At the same time, The strategy aims to mitigate risk through diversification, since investors are dividing their long and short holdings, such as 80% long and 20% short, given current economic conditions

But it’s still not risk-free (an important development)

Furthermore, A long-term investment could unexpectedly drop and wipe out gains from short positions while a stock bought on margin could rise, resulting in a loss to an investor who bet on a decline

Perly implemented, however, a long-short equity strategy fits on both gains and losses, achieving greater earnings than if an investor had focused on one direction

Moreover, How Long-Short Equity WorksA successful long-short equity strategy requires deep nical knowledge and re, the kind available to hedge funds

Additionally, Nevertheless, An investor should be able to identify undervalued stocks that are ripe for a long position and overpriced stocks that are ideal for shorts

However, As a starting point, fundamental analysis can help uncover mispriced securities

On the other hand, In contrast, Once it’s complete, the investor should have a list of stocks to allocate holdings among portfolio weights

For instance, they might invest 25% of their available money in shorts and 75% in longs

Conversely, After an investor makes the appriate trades, diligent portfolio monitoring is necessary

Most investors set a certain percentage of losses they’re willing to accept before they give up their holdings, in light of current trends

On the other hand, That way, they prevent unexpected losses that could be severely detrimental to their investment strategy

For example, an investor performing fundamental analysis to identify mispriced stocks determines that Alphabet’s current price of $180 is undervalued, while Eli Lilly’s price of $780 is overvalued

They take a 70/30 long-short allocation, buying seven s in Alphabet and borrowing six in Eli Lilly on margin

Over the next month, Alphabet’s price rises to $200, and Eli Lilly’s falls to $750 (quite telling)

Additionally, Alphabet’s gain results in $140 in fits (7 s x $20 increase), while Eli Lilly’s yields a $180 fit (6 s x $30 loss)

In total, the long-short equity strategy yields $320 in fits, in today's financial world

Stocks within the same sector often move up or down in unison, which means choosing stocks from different areas of the market is generally favored for long-short strategies (this bears monitoring)

Meanwhile, Equity Market-Neutral Strategies vs

Additionally, Long-ShortA market-neutral equity strategy involves holding equal positions in both long and short holdings, say in a 50/50 split

Un long-short strategies that divide their long and short positions between different sectors, a market-neutral strategy looks for similar investments on both sides of the trade

Additionally, What the data shows is ’s more of a bet on particular stocks than a focus on sectors, and it also requires constant monitoring to ensure the portfolio remains balanced

Who are Long-Short Equity Strategies Best For

While individual investors can attempt a long-short equity strategy, they bably won’t have access to the resources available to a hedge fund or other more sophisticated money manager, in light of current trends

At the same time, If you think it’s a viable option, you should seek the help of a financial advisor with ven experience handling long-short portfolios

Additionally, As with any other investment strategy, long-short equity involves risks, given the current landscape

Additionally, Successful implementation can help tect against unexpected changes in the market, but make sure you’re comfortable with the potential downsides, and do your best to mitigate them before going forward

Frequently Asked QuestionsQWhat are the risks of a long-short equity strategy

AA primary risk of a long-short equity strategy is a short position, which requires the investor to borrow from a brokerage on margin

If the stock price increases rather than falls, the investor will lose money that they must repay to the lender, in light of current trends

Conversely, QWhat are the benefits of long-short equity, in today's financial world

AA long-short equity strategy can help maximize fits from market downturns and upturns

It’s also an excellent way to hedge against various types of risk

Additionally, QShould I use a long-short equity strategy, in light of current trends

AThe kind of resources needed to implement a successful long-short equity strategy are generally available only to bigger investors

Seek the help of an experienced financial advisor before you make any decisions.