Interactive Investor

10 most popular funds in May 2018

8th June 2018 09:22

Marina Gerner from interactive investor

Global equity dominates the list of most-bought funds and in particular technology funds focusing on US equities are popular, reveals Marina Gerner.

There was no change at the very top of the table of best-selling investment funds.

Terry Smith's Fundsmith Equity, continues to be the most-bought fund among ii clients. The fund’s top holdings include US equities such as Microsoft Corp and PayPal Holdings Inc, Spain's Amadeus IT Group SA A, and Denmark's Novo Nordisk A/S ADR. Over half of its assets are in the US and 19% are in the UK.

Rated Fund Lindsell Train Global Equity came second again in May. Jointly managed by Michael Lindsell and Nick Train, the fund returned 12% over six months and 18.3% over one year. The managers of the fund are known for the very low turnover of their portfolios, which keeps trading costs down.

It was followed by passive tracker Vanguard LifeStrategy 80% Equity, also a Rated Fund, which went up by one place to come third.  The tracker provides a mix of North American equities, UK equities and Japanese equities in its 80% equity element, as well as exposure to global bonds.

Baillie Gifford had an uplifting month: its Global Discovery fund went up nine places to become the fourth most popular fund in May. The fund seeks out companies worldwide offering particularly  attractive growth prospects; it has 53% of its assets in the US and 20% in the UK.

Similarly, Baillie Gifford American rose 12 places to come fifth on the list. American stocks rallied as strong employment data was released in the US.

This fund returned 26.1% over six months and an astonishing 112% over three years. Top holdings include US tech giants Amazon.com Inc, Netflix Inc, Facebook Inc A and Alphabet Inc A, which have driven the growth of the US equity market.

Legg Mason IF Japan Equity went down by three places to become the sixth most-bought fund. This was despite the fact that it tops the Japan sector performance chart over one month and one year, having returned 9% and 33% respectively. Managed by Tokyo-based Hideo Shiozumi, the fund focuses on high-growth companies on attractive valuations.

It was followed by Baillie Gifford Japanese Smaller Companies which came seventh on May's list. This fund has 30% of its assets in information technology driven by Japan's smaller companies.

Japanese stocks have been rising again in May after two subdued months, but the two Japan funds on our list slipped down the table slightly, indicating that not all investors are convinced the good times will continue.

It was closely followed by Vanguard LifeStrategy 100% Equity which came eighth. The global equity tracker returned 5% over six months and 40% over three years.

Investors' enthusiasm for the high-growth opportunities offered by tech firms worldwide continues with the re-appearance of Axa Framlington Global Technology in the list of most-bought funds after a month of absence.

This fund has the majority of its assets in US equities, and predominantly the big tech companies.

And finally, another global technology fund, Henderson Global Technology also returned to the top 10 list. It also has over 80% of its assets in US equities such as Microsoft, Alphabet, Apple and Facebook.

Source: interactive investor      Past performance is not a guide to future performance

These articles are provided for information purposes only.  Occasionally, an opinion about whether to buy or sell a specific investment may be provided by third parties.  The content is not intended to be a personal recommendation to buy or sell any financial instrument or product, or to adopt any investment strategy as it is not provided based on an assessment of your investing knowledge and experience, your financial situation or your investment objectives. The value of your investments, and the income derived from them, may go down as well as up. You may not get back all the money that you invest. The investments referred to in this article may not be suitable for all investors, and if in doubt, an investor should seek advice from a qualified investment adviser.

Full performance can be found on the company or index summary page on the interactive investor website. Simply click on the company's or index name highlighted in the article.

This article was originally published in our sister magazine Money Observer, which ceased publication in August 2020.

These articles are provided for information purposes only. Occasionally, an opinion about whether to buy or sell a specific investment may be provided by third parties. The content is not intended to be a personal recommendation to buy or sell any financial instrument or product, or to adopt any investment strategy as it is not provided based on an assessment of your investing knowledge and experience, your financial situation or your investment objectives. The value of your investments, and the income derived from them, may go down as well as up. You may not get back all the money that you invest. The investments referred to in this article may not be suitable for all investors, and if in doubt, an investor should seek advice from a qualified investment adviser.

Full performance can be found on the company or index summary page on the interactive investor website. Simply click on the company's or index name highlighted in the article.