ii most-bought investments: May 2026

• Global funds continue to be in demand in the passive space, as the Vanguard FTSE All-World UCITS ETF takes the top spot for passive funds in May
• A mix of money market, global income, and technology-focused funds dominate the list of most-bought active funds
• Micron Technology tops the list for the most-bought stocks list in May, followed by Nvidia.

interactive investor (ii), the UK’s leading flat-fee investment platform, reveals its most-bought equities, funds, and investment trusts in May 2026.

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For ii’s most-bought passive funds, the Vanguard FTSE All-World UCITS ETF GBP (LSE:VWRL)takes the number one spot once again, followed by the Vanguard FTSE Global All Cp Idx £ Acc (BD3RZ58) in second place.

iShares Physical Gold ETC GBP (LSE:SGLN) has tumbled down the list, now in seventh place, after coming in third place in April. A new entrant, the VanEck Semiconductor ETF GBP (LSE:SMGB), came in fourth place.

Polar Capital Global Tech I Inc GBP (B42W4J8) moved up the most-bought active funds list, rising from sixth place in April to third place in May.

For investment trusts, new entrants in May include Allianz Technology Trust Ord (LSE:ATT) and JPMorgan Global Growth & Income Ord (LSE:JGGI).

AI demand has been growing once again for investors. A new entrant, Micron Technology Inc (NASDAQ:MU), shot to the top of the most-bought stocks list in May. NVIDIA Corp (NASDAQ:NVDA) came in second place – and it’s the first time the company has entered ii’s most-bought stocks list in 2026. It last featured on the list in December 2025. 

Previous frontrunner Rolls-Royce Holdings (LSE:RR.) has moved down to third place, and NatWest Group (LSE:NWG)Group re-entered the list after not featuring in April – coming in ninth place. 

Most-bought funds and investment trusts

Commenting on the most-bought funds and investment trusts on interactive investor in May,Tom Bigley, fund analyst at interactive investor, says: “Both cautious and adventurous investment strategies attracted investor interest in May as global stock markets enjoyed a strong run, led by robust gains in technology shares fuelled by continued enthusiasm for artificial intelligence (AI). This came despite several headwinds, including ongoing uncertainty surrounding the conflict in the Middle East and increasing scrutiny of whether the vast sums being invested in AI by the world’s largest companies will deliver sufficient long-term returns.

“There continues to be a strong demand for global funds among investors. The Vanguard FTSE All-World UCITS ETFtakes the top spot for passive investments in May, which it also held last month. It’s followed by the Vanguard FTSE Global All Cap Index. The key difference between the two is the latter includes smaller companies that sit below the large and mid-cap universe, providing broader diversification.

“Both funds are potential core holdings that offer investors broad exposure to global stock markets. With their flexibility to invest across the world, global funds can provide greater levels of protection versus equity funds focused on one particular region or part of the market, such as smaller company shares. 

“In the passive space, VanEck Semiconductor UCITS ETF was a new entrant in fourth place, reflecting an increase in risk appetite among some investors. Many semiconductor shares have posted impressive returns so far this year, increasing the demand for funds in this sector. Notably, Micron has risen more than 200% year-to-date as demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) used in AI servers has exceeded supply. AMD and Marvell are also among the standout performers in this sector both up over 100% this year.

“On the cautious side, money market funds continued to be popular and account for four out of our top 10 most-bought active funds. Investors often use money market funds to park cash for short periods while deciding where to invest, or to act as a safe haven during periods of stock market volatility.

“Following an impressive return for Emerging Market Equities in May, the Artemis SmartGARP Global Emerging Markets Equity Fund was the only new entrant in the open-ended space.

“When it comes to investment trusts, Scottish Mortgage Ord (LSE:SMT) remained in the top spot. Allianz Technology and JP Morgan Global Growth & Income were new entrants in the closed-ended space as investor demand for growth assets continues to be strong.”

Most-bought stocks

Commenting on the most-bought stocks on interactive investor in May, Victoria Scholar, Head of Investment says: “Micron was the most-bought stock on the interactive investor platform last month, as surging AI chip demand propelled the company into the $1 trillion market cap club. 

“According to Refinitiv, the stock soared 87% over the last month and is up more than 900% over the past year. The analyst team at UBS tripled its price target on the stock last week, helping to send shares sharply higher. A combination of surging AI demand, supply shortages and price hikes have pushed the stock to fresh highs and ignited heavy buying among ii customers. 

“Nvidia made a comeback to the most bought stocks list last month, landing in second position. The artificial intelligence bellwether reported forecast topping earnings and guidance in May. However, the company has missed out on a lot of the recent semiconductor surge which has propelled companies like Micron, AMD and Intel sharply higher since the end of March. 

“As usual, FTSE 100 heavyweights like BP (LSE:BP.), Legal & General Group (LSE:LGEN), Lloyds Banking Group (LSE:LLOY) and Glencore (LSE:GLEN) were popular choices among ii customers last month. NatWest was a new addition while FTSE 250 low-cost carrier easyJet (LSE:EZJ) dropped off the list.”

MOST-BOUGHT INVESTMENTS ON INTERACTIVE INVESTOR (ii) IN MAY 2026