个人IPS

问题如下：

Differentiate between an asset used as an inflation hedge and an asset that outpaces inflation in an investment strategy.

选项：

解释：

An asset used as an inflation hedge protects the purchasing power during periods of inflation as their value or returns increase in line with or close to the inflation rate. Inflation-linked bonds may protect against inflation, but they do not necessarily provide real growth in value. An asset that outpaces inflation is expected to not only maintain its value during inflationary periods but also increase in value at a rate higher than the rate of inflation. Typically, equities, or stocks, fall into this category; however, this may not always be the case. Individual companies and broader market indexes can exhibit different behaviors, as some companies can often pass increased costs on to consumers during inflationary periods, leading to increased profits and thus increased stock prices. However, the overall market performance can lag, particularly when inflation is persistently high.