UK funds dominate top performers in July
Data from Saltydog Investor shows that of the month’s top 10 performers four were from the UK All Companies sector, while UK Equity Income and UK Smaller Companies each had one fund in the ranking.
5th August 2026 09:55
by Douglas Chadwick from ii contributor
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.
At Saltydog Investor, we provide detailed analysis of the best-performing funds over recent weeks and months.
This year has been particularly challenging for investors. Despite a turbulent geopolitical backdrop, US indices reached new all-time highs, driven by enthusiasm for the leading artificial intelligence (AI) stocks. However, they have fallen in recent weeks as tensions in the Middle East have risen again.
Closer to home, the UK now appears to be setting the pace, with the FTSE 100 recently reaching a new record high.
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Every week, we review the most readily available UK-domiciled funds, looking for those that are really standing out from the crowd.
We begin by dividing them into the widely recognised Investment Association (IA) sectors. To simplify the analysis, we then place funds from the different sectors into our own Saltydog groups.
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We also combine a few of the smaller sectors where separate analysis would add little value. These include Global Bonds and Global Emerging Market Bonds.
Before examining each month’s leading sectors in detail, we like to get a feel for the broader picture. One useful measure is the number of sectors making gains.
March was extremely difficult, with nearly every sector falling. However, most recovered during April and May.
Of the 35 sectors that we monitor each week, 31 rose in April and 32 made gains in May. June was less impressive, although 30 sectors still moved forwards.
July was significantly weaker, with only 13 sectors making headway.
Data source: Morningstar. Past performance is not a guide to future performance.
Leading the way was the UK Equity Income sector, up 4.3%, followed by the UK All Companies sector, up 4.0%. The UK Smaller Companies and Property sectors also made gains.
Past performance is not a guide to future performance.
The changing market conditions have also been reflected in the funds appearing at the top of our monthly tables.
In April and May, the leading funds were predominantly from the Technology & Technology Innovation sector. June produced a much broader mix.
Two of the top 10 funds came from the Specialist sector and two were from China/Greater China. Another two were from North American Smaller Companies.
The new Healthcare & Biotechnology sector also provided two funds. The remaining places went to Financials & Financial Innovation and Global.
Pictet-Biotech I dy GBP (B554RF5) topped the table, with a one-month return of 14.4%.
July was different again, with UK funds accounting for six of the top 10 places.
Four came from UK All Companies, while UK Equity Income and UK Smaller Companies provided one each.
However, the leading fund was WS Guinness Global Energy I Acc (B56FW07), from the Commodities & Natural Resources sector. It delivered a one-month return of 10.8%.
Saltydog’s top 10 funds in July 2026
| Fund | Investment Association sector | Monthly return |
| WS Guinness Global Energy I Acc (B56FW07) | Commodities and Natural Resources | 10.8 |
| Schroder UK Mid 250 L GBP Acc (BDD2JS4) | UK All Companies | 10.2 |
| FTF ClearBridge UK Mid Cap W Acc (B7BXT54) | UK All Companies | 8.6 |
| Man Japan CoreAlpha Profl Acc C (B0119B5) | Japan | 8.6 |
| BGF World Energy D4 (B3Y9G49) | Commodities and Natural Resources | 8.2 |
| BNY Mellon UK Income GBP Inc (0677921) | UK Equity Income | 8.1 |
| Ranmore Global Equity Institutional GBP (BR2Q8G6) | Global | 8.0 |
| Fidelity UK Smaller Companies W-Acc (B7VNMB1) | UK Smaller Companies | 7.3 |
| Unicorn Outstanding British Co Instl (B1GGDH6) | UK All Companies | 7.3 |
| WS Lindsell Train UK Equity Acc (B18B9X7) | UK All Companies | 7.3 |
Source: Morningstar. 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.