US investors turn to sectors and themes amid growing sophistication

Investors in the US are becoming more sector-specific in their approach after the financial crisis highlighted the importance of diversification. As the economy recovers, both retail and institutional investors are making use of sectors to monetise their market outlooks.

"People are looking more specifically at industries, sectors or thematic-type investments," says Aniket Ullal, New York-based senior director at Standard and Poor's (S&P) in the US.

S&P has launched a Consumer Finance Index to e