10 hottest ISA shares, funds and trusts: week ended 12 September 2025

We look at the investments ii customers have been buying within their ISAs during the previous week. The data includes only real-time trades, not regular investing instructions, and combines the use of both existing funds and new money.

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Top 10 shares in ISAs

New entry Phoenix Group Holdings (LSE:PHNX), with its eye-catching dividend yield of 8.35%, leapfrogged into first place in the table of most-bought stocks in ISAs on the ii platform.

The £6 billion FTSE 100 company published mixed first-half results last week. The retirement savings firm also announced plans to change its name to Standard Life from March 2026. Keith Bowman, equity analyst at ii, said that: “The pending change of name brings the group’s most trusted brand to the forefront as well as aiding its objective to simplify the business.”

Fellow financial services firm Legal & General Group (LSE:LGEN) was knocked off the top spot by Phoenix Group, leaving it in second place. Its attractive dividend yield, currently at 8.98%, is also a draw for income investors.

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ImmuPharma (LSE:IMM) was another newcomer, entering in third place. The drug discovery and development company’s shares leapt at the start of the month after it announced the filing of a new patent application for P140, the world’s first immunormalizer.

The AIM-listed £71.2 million company said that the patent application discloses a novel diagnostic test and precision treatment approach, identifying a subpopulation of patients with type M immune disorder that are P140 super-responders. P140 works by restoring immune homeostasis, the finely regulated balance of the immune system.

According to Immupharma, autoimmune diseases affect more than 400 million people worldwide. 

FTSE 100 engineer Rolls-Royce Holdings (LSE:RR.), which will build the UK’s first small modular reactors (SMR), slipped four places to seventh in the table. Today, the BBC reported that the UK and US are set to sign a nuclear energy deal during US President Donald Trump’s state visit. The broadcaster said the key focus of the Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy is to make it quicker for companies to build new nuclear power stationsin both countries.

Tufan Erginbilgic, the CEO of Rolls-Royce, said: “We welcome the commitment of the US and UK governments to accelerate the deployment of advanced nuclear technologies and secure an independent supply of advanced nuclear fuel. Nuclear will play a critical role in the energy resilience and security of both nations.”

Meanwhile, defence firm BAE Systems (LSE:BA.) continued to be a popular buy among ii customers, climbing one place to eighth, against a backdrop of rising tension in Europe. At the weekend, Romania became the second country to report Russian drones in its airspace, days after Poland confirmed a breach.

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80 Mile (LSE:80M), an exploration and development company, entered the top 10 in sixth place. The company’s shares surged on news of a multi-million dollar valuation of a Greenland prospect. Last week, 80 Mile said that a recent merger agreement valued its 30% stake in Greenland’s Jameson liquid hydrocarbon prospect at $92 million (£67.5 million). Jameson is a joint venture between 80 Mile, formerly Bluejay Mining, and March GL Co. The latter’s wholly owned subsidiary, Greenland Exploration Ltd, has agreed to merge with Nasdaq-listed Pelican Acquisition Corp. The three entities will combine to become Pelican Holdco Inc, before being renamed Greenland Energy Co. The merger is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025. 

It was mixed fortunes for fellow miners Empire Metals Ltd (LSE:EEE) and Wishbone Gold (LSE:WSBN). The former rose one place to fourth, while the latter tumbled four places to 10th.

Retail technology firm Ocado Group (LSE:OCDO) popped up in the most-bought stocks table in ninth place. Its shares suffered last week after US partner The Kroger Co (NYSE:KR) said that it would be reviewing its use of the automated warehouse technology. 

Finally, Taylor Wimpey (LSE:TW.), which fell three places to fifth, was one of six UK construction-related picks in an analyst’s biannual review of the sector. City writer Graeme Evans reported Berenberg citing the housebuilder’s strong balance sheet and landbank including “65,000 plots that are owned with planning consent, which is equal to about five years’ worth of supply”. Taylor Wimpey is another stock of interest for income seekers with a current yield of 9.68%.

Equities section written by ii’s Nina Kelly

Top 10 funds and trusts in ISAs

For the past four weeks our top three funds have remained the same, with Royal London Short Term Money Mkt Y Acc still in pole position. The fund offers a “cash-like return”, with its yield closely linked to the Bank of England’s base rate. As well as low-risk income, the Royal London fund can be seen as a place to park cash while awaiting new opportunities.

In second place was Artemis Global Income. This value-focused fund is light on US exposure, holding just under one-third of its portfolio in the country. In contrast, the MSCI World Index, which follows the ups and downs of 1,320 global stocks across 23 developed markets, holds 72% in US companies. The Artemis fund launched 15 years ago, and the same stock picker – Jacob de Tusch-Lec – remains at the helm. 

Tracker fund Vanguard LifeStrategy 80% Equity held on to third place. It was joined by another fund from the same stable, Vanguard LifeStrategy 100% Equity, in seventh place.

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There were two new entries, although both are no strangers to the top 10. Scottish Mortgage Ord (LSE:SMT), which invests in high-growth global companies, re-entered the table in ninth place. It was joined by Ranmore Global Equity, another global actively managed fund in 10th place. The value-focused Ranmore fund is also light on US exposure (with around a 20% weighting). It has been a stellar performer over the past three and five years, up 91.7% and 161.1%, while the average global fund has returned 31% and 53.2%, 

The value investment style involves selecting stocks that appear to be trading at prices lower than their true value. Such out-of-favour companies tend to have a low price/earnings (PE) ratio, which compares a company’s value with its profits. If the company pays dividends, it will tend to have a high dividend yield.

Such companies tend to be found in sectors that are more economically sensitive, including finance, energy and materials. Value stocks are cheaper than growth stocks, with valuations more reflective of current earnings rather than future potential.

UK dividend investment trust City of London and global tracker Fidelity Index World both exited the table this week.

Funds and trusts section written by ii’s Kyle Caldwell.