ii most-bought investments: January 2026

• Nvidia drops off the most-bought stocks list for the first time since June 2025
• Artemis Global Income took the top spot as the most-bought active fund for the first time, ending the Royal London Short Term Money Market fund’s reign
• Precious metals once again proved popular with investors in January.

interactive investor (ii), the UK’s second-largest platform for private investors, reveals its most-bought equities, funds, and investment trusts in January 2026.

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After a long stint at number one, the Royal London Short Term Money Mkt Y Accfund has been dethroned as the most-bought active fund, asArtemis Global Income I Acc takes the top spot. Royal London moved to second place.

Interest in money market funds more generally lowered in January, as Fidelity Cash W Acc, Vanguard Sterling Short Term Money Markets A GBP Acc and L&G Cash Trust I Acc all dropped off the list after featuring in December. However, Royal London continued to stay in the top 10.

Precious metals stayed at the top of investors’ minds in January, as the iShares Physical Silver ETC GBP (LSE:SSLN) and iShares Physical Gold ETC GBP (LSE:SGLN) led the most-bought passive funds list, with Jupiter Gold & Silver I GBP Acc and Ninety One Global Gold I Acc £ both featuring in the active list.

For the list of most-bought investment trusts, Seraphim Space Investment Trust Ord (LSE:SSIT) and BlackRock World Mining Trust Ord (LSE:BRWM) both jumped up in the list in January. The trusts landed at third and fourth place respectively, having been further down in December.

When it comes to most-bought stocks, NVIDIA Corp (NASDAQ:NVDA)dropped off the most-bought stocks list for the first time since June 2025.

Geopolitical instability fuelled investor decisions in January, as defence stock Rolls-Royce Holdings (LSE:RR.) takes the top spot, jumping from third in December, and mining company Glencore (LSE:GLEN) came in second place – shooting up from ninth in December.

Most-bought funds and investment trusts

Commenting on the most-bought funds and investment trusts on interactive investor in January,Kyle Caldwell, Funds and Investment Education Editor at interactive investor, says: “Ahead of the sharp falls for gold and silver, we saw increased demand for exposure to both metals, with Ninety One Global Gold joining Jupiter Gold & Silver (which climbed up one place to third) in the top 10 rankings for active open-ended funds.

“For index funds/ETFs, while the top spots were unchanged, iShares Physical Silver ETC and iShares Physical Gold ETC, the Global X Silver Miners ETF USD Acc GBP (LSE:SILG) jumped from eighth to third, and WisdomTree Physical Silver ETC GBP (LSE:PHSP) was a new entry in the top 10.  

“Until the end of last week, gold and silver were on a tear. But then investors were caught off guard as a huge sell-off erupted, with the price of silver falling more than 25% and gold giving up 10%. 

“It is anyone’s guess whether there will be further declines or a recovery in the short term, but the structural drivers for both precious metals remain the same as they were before the end of last week. During times of uncertainty investors flock to safe-haven assets, with both gold and silver widely viewed as tangible physical assets that provide a reliable store of value. This is because governments and central banks cannot simply print more gold or silver, as they can with currencies. As a result, the value of both is viewed as being preserved. 

“When looking at the bigger picture, both gold and silver have still delivered very handsome returns since the start of last year. However, recent events serve as a reminder that both precious metals can see their prices fluctuate rapidly. As ever, balance is key. Commodities can play a useful long-term role for private investors as a portfolio diversifier and inflation hedge. But, due to their volatility it is important to limit exposure.”

Most-bought stocks

Commenting on the most-bought stocks on interactive investor in January, Victoria Scholar, Head of Investment, says:“FTSE 100 heavyweights continued to power ii customer portfolios in January. Shares in dividend payers such as Legal & General Group (LSE:LGEN), Lloyds Banking Group (LSE:LLOY), BP (LSE:BP.) and Diageo (LSE:DGE) retained their spots among the most-bought list of stocks last month. The backdrop of global geopolitical instability also supported demand for miners like Glencore (LSE:GLEN) and defence stocks like Rolls-Royce Holdings (LSE:RR.).

“In one of the biggest changes to the list we’ve seen in a long time, Nvidia dropped out of the list of most-bought stocks in January for the first time since June 2025. Buying interest in the world’s most valuable company, which has been at the heart of the AI frenzy, has waned, hand in hand with its share price performance. Its astronomical ascent in recent years has been fizzling out since November when AI bubble fears sparked significant volatility in the sector. Over the last three months, shares are down by around 10%.”

MOST BOUGHT INVESTMENTS ON INTERACTIVE INVESTOR (ii) IN JANUARY 2026