How to invest in the whole world with just one MAPFRE fund

Let’s say you have $10,000 to invest. Would you put your money in Amazon or Alibaba? Or what about Tesla versus BYD? The longstanding rivalry between the USA and China has shifted gear recently as both countries step up their efforts to claim global economic supremacy, presenting opportunities for investors in a borderless trading environment.

Patrick Nielsen, assistant general manager of MAPFRE AM and Fondmapfre Global manager, explains that the world is currently dealing with a multipolarity scenario, referring to an international system structured around several autonomous centers of power, as opposed to a single dominant superpower.

In Nielsen’s view, we’re going through a stage of geopolitical and economic transformation that is doing away with many of the traditional assumptions and structures. We don’t have a single economic power center calling the shots anymore. And there’s no predictable roadmap for investors to use to guide their portfolio decision making. Faced with this new reality, Nielsen proposes a logical solution: a global investment strategy that takes the guesswork out of who’s going to emerge victorious from the next economic or tech battle.

“We're moving toward a multipolar world,” says Nielsen, “one where competition between regions boosts growth and innovation. The dynamic is more complex but comes with better wealth-creating possibilities.”

Investing in a competitive world

Nielsen argues that the old vision focused on the United States or Europe as the only drivers of growth is no longer valid. “Betting exclusively on the American market doesn’t cut it anymore. With the emergence of Chinese companies like DeepSeek and EV manufacturers we’ve seen that innovation isn’t the preserve of a single region,” he says. “Competition exists at consumer level, at the funding level, and so on.”

From this premise, Nielsen argues that MAPFRE AM’s Fondmapfre Global fund aims to seek out opportunities wherever they may arise, and not limit itself to trying to pick a single winner. “In an arms race between American and Chinese tech companies, one investor could say they’re all in on the Chinese, and another could fly the flag for the US. An alternative is not to take sides and spread your bets across both, and may the best man win. That’s the approach this fund takes.”

A fund that reaps the benefits of many trends

When asked whether it’s better to go with a thematic fund, Nielsen emphasizes that you need to have your ducks in a row and be sure of what you’re betting on, given that you have to know “how to identify trends, ride the wave when they’re on the up and up, and most of all, be able to spot the difference between a trend and a fad, because some last for years and others just a few months. Some of them are definitely here for the long haul, like quantum computing, for example, which is surging ahead, but the stock market doesn’t seem to get it yet. Fondmapfre Global is more of all-rounder, and one that you can hold for 20 years.”

Fondmapfre Global, in depth

MAPFRE AM’s Fondmapfre Global invests directly through other funds, with heavy equity exposure. According to the latest data published by Morningstar on June 18, 2025, the fund manages assets of 295.1 million euros, (approximately 346 million dollars).

The fund notched up a return of 4.6% last year and has delivered annualized returns in excess of 8% over the last five years.

This investment product has a medium-high risk profile, scoring of 5 out of 7 on the Morningstar scale.

Typically, the fund maintains exposure of close to 100% in equities. Two thirds of investment is focused on the USA, with the tech sector accounting for more than 20%.