Top 10 most-popular investment funds: February 2026

Value strategy Artemis Global Income I Acc has retained its place at the head of the most-bought funds’ list, which is based on the number of buys during the month, with regular investing excluded.

As specialist writer Saltydog Investor observes, the Artemis fund firm is enjoying a spell in the sun on the back of cracking performance from some of the funds in its stable.

• Invest with ii: Open an ISA | Top ISA Funds | Transfer an ISA to ii

Artemis Global Income has a lower weighting to the United States than most global funds and its performance has been noteworthy, with the fund returning 58.9%, 130% and 177.5% over one, three and five years.

Another offering from the same fund house, Artemis SmartGARP European Equity is also in the top 10, rising two spots to seventh place. SmartGARP stands for Smart Growth At a Reasonable Price. This fund for those looking for returns beyond the US, has also enjoyed a strong run of form, returning 54%, 107% and 164% over one, three and five years.

However, while it is Artemis’ actively managed funds that are in vogue among interactive investor customers, low-cost Vanguard index funds, including LifeStrategy 100% Equity, LifeStrategy 80% Equity, LifeStrategy 60% Equity, and FTSE Global All Cap Index £ Acc, make up half the top 10 table.

The newcomer in February was another passive fund, Vanguard FTSE UK Equity Income Index £ Acc, which entered the ranking in 10th place. My colleague Kyle Caldwell has included the outperforming index fund in his 2026 funds’ portfolio designed to produce a £10,000 income, and has written separately about how actively managed funds have struggled to beat this tracker.

The fund, which investors can own for 0.14% a year, follows the FTSE UK Equity Income Index, which is made up of shares “listed on the London Stock Exchange’s main market, that are expected to pay dividends that generally are higher than average”, making it of interest to income investors, who will be buying the income share class rather than the accumulation share class (dividends reinvested). However, the accumulation version is the one that appears in our top 10 ranking. Caldwell argued in our most recent On the Money podcast episode that it’s “a great fund to consider for a growth portfolio as well as an income one”.

• 10 funds to produce a £10,000 income in 2026
• Ian Cowie: are you braced for AI apocalypse or buying into AI optimism?

Because this article is retrospective, the February ranking doesn’t reflect investor decisions made in the aftermath of the bombing of Iran by the US and Israel (on Saturday 28 February) – any dramatic changes, such as a flight to funds with exposure to defence stocks or gold – will show up in March’s article.

If the conflict in the Middle East is prolonged or escalates further, it could have an inflationary impact owing to higher oil prices. The inflation risk could mean that the Bank of England holds interest rates steady at 3.75% in their next meeting in 2.5 weeks’ time. Commentators have predicted two rate cuts this year, but these are by no means nailed on given current geopolitical events.

If interest rates stay at 3.75%, it could mean more investors are inclined to hang on to their holdings in second-ranked Royal London Short Term Money Market fund. This is because the yield on this popular, low-risk fund is closely linked to the base rate, and with the fund yielding 3.88% at the end of January, it is currently beating inflation, which fell to 3% in January. Investors who are cautiously minded might also find the yield on this fund an acceptable trade-off for the peace of mind such a low-risk fund offers.

• Is it time to move on from money market funds?
• Fund Spotlight: a port in a storm for cautious investors

Despite the artificial intelligence (AI) ‘scare trade’ and persistent talk of a bubble, the L&G Global Technology Index Trust rose one place to ninth, while tracker fund HSBC FTSE All-World Index C Acc remained in fifth place.

The fund that exited the top 10 in February was Jupiter Gold & Silver. However, next month it might well be a different story for this specialist play, which is mainly exposed to gold and silver miners rather than the metals themselves. Investor sentiment could potentially change given the yellow metal’s safe-haven status amid geopolitical conflict.

Top 10 most-popular funds in February 2026

Source: interactive investor. Performance data to 2 March 2026. Note: the top 10 is based on the number of “buys” during the month of February. Past performance is not a guide to future performance.

Top 10 most-bought active funds in February 2026

Actively managed funds 

Just like the mainstream top 10 ranking above, one new fund has entered our ranking of the most-bought actively managed funds.

Multi-asset ‘value’-oriented Orbis OEIC Global Balanced Fixed Fee is managed by Alec Cutler and counts Samsung Electronics Co Ltd DR (LSE:SMSN), Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd ADR (NYSE:TSM), and iShares Physical Gold ETC GBP (LSE:SGLN) among its top 10 holdings

In an ii video interview with Cutler, he explained Orbis’ unique fee structure. The fund firm gives investors two options, with one share class only charging investors if it delivers a certain level of performance (Orbis OEIC Global Balanced Standard). However, if it does outperform, a fund fee of 40% of the percentage amount of outperformance is taken. 

“We charge zero base, and 40% of the outperformance of the benchmark,” said Cutler. “So, if we don’t outperform the benchmark, if we perform in line with the benchmark, you’re getting basically an index fund for free.

“If we outperform, we take 40% of that outperformance, it goes into reserve, and starts filling up a reserve. That reserve, if it continues to have funds in it, we pull our fee from that reserve at 30% of that reserve tank a year. If the fund subsequently underperforms, the money flows back out of that reserve into the fund.”

However, the fee version – the one that appears in our ranking in 10th place – has an ongoing charges figure (OCF) of 1.20%. Investors are presumably opting for this version because the fund has outperformed its benchmark over one (31%), three (69%) and five (110%) years, and they are seeking to pay the lowest possible fee for potential outperformance. 

• The Analyst: defence – how to play the new tech sector
• Sign up to our free newsletter for investment ideas, latest news and award-winning analysis

In the ranking of actively managed funds, it is easy to see investor appetite for Artemis funds, with Artemis SmartGARP UK  Equity, Artemis SmartGARP European Equity  and Artemis SmartGARP Global EM Equity I Acc GBP appearing alongside the accumulation and income versions of Artemis Global Income.

As discussed above, investor appetite for precious metals cooled in February, with Jupiter Gold & Silver I GBP Acc falling two places to fifth, but that could all change by next month, with the gold price surging at the time of writing after the attacks on Iran.

Value strategy Ranmore Global Equity Institutional GBP was highlighted by Saltydog columnist Douglas Chadwick recently as being one of nine funds passing his consistency test, which is designed to identify funds that have performed well over a longer time frame. Chadwick describes the test as a “demanding hurdle”.

Finally, the accumulation and income versions of the Royal London Short Term Money Market fund make up the rest of the top 10 table, in second and ninth place respectively.