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Tech is back – and we are watching these funds

26th June 2023 16:01

by Douglas Chadwick from ii contributor

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The tech sector has caught the eye of Saltydog, but it is waiting for further gains before investing.  

Investing in technology funds 600

This content is provided by Saltydog Investor. It is a third-party supplier and not part of interactive investor. It is provided for information only and does not constitute a personal recommendation.

Last month, overall fund performance was not as good as in April. The total number of sectors making gains fell significantly, as did average sector returns.

There are now more than 50 fund sectors, but the Investment Association (IA) does not provide average return data for a few of them because the fund objectives and strategies can vary so widely. A couple of years ago they also split the Global Bond sector into 14 new sectors, mainly to incorporate ETFs. Most of these sectors only contain a handful of funds (unit trusts and OEICs) so we still combine all the non-UK Bond sectors to create our ‘Global and Global Emerging Market Bond’ sector.

This means that we end up reporting on 35 sectors. There were 21 sectors that rose in value in April but only 10 in May.

Sectors with positive returns Saltydog June 2023

Past performance is not a guide to future performance.

There are just four sectors that made gains in both April and May: the two Money Market sectors, India/Indian Subcontinent, and UK Direct Property. Only the Money Market sectors also rose in March.

The leading sector last month was Technology and Technology Innovation with a one-month return of 9.1%, followed by India/Indian Subcontinent, which gained 4.1%, and Latin America, which made 3.4%.

IA sector returns May 2023

Past performance is not a guide to future performance.

Next came Japan, up 2.3%, and North America, up 1.6%. Nothing else made more than 0.5% and most sectors went fell in value. The worst, China/Greater China, fell by 7.5%.

Not surprisingly, the best-performing funds last month were also from the Technology and Technology Innovations sector, along with funds from the Global and North America sectors which also invest heavily in the large US technology stocks.

At the top of the table is the T. Rowe Price Global Technology Equity fund with a one-month return of 16.9%. It reached an all-time high in November 2021, but by the end of 2022 it had fallen by 30%. Although it has made quite a recovery since then, it would still have to rise by more than 15% to get back to where it was.

Saltydog top 10 funds May 2023

Past performance is not a guide to future performance.

The Technology and Technology sector was one of the worst-performing sectors in 2022, falling by more than 27%, but has had a good start to this year. It rose 9.3% in January, and although February and March were not as impressive it still ended up being the best-performing sector in the first quarter of this year. It fell by 2.8% in April, but having gained 9.1% in May it is now up 22.7% since the beginning of the year.

We do not currently hold any funds from the Technology and Technology Innovations sector in our demonstration portfolios, but we are watching them closely.

For more information about Saltydog, or to take the two-month free trial, go to www.saltydoginvestor.com

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.

Related Categories

    FundsEmerging marketsNorth AmericaBonds and giltsJapan

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