Which are the most popular funds this ISA season?

Staci West 02/04/2024 in Best performing funds, Equities

Investors finished the first quarter of 2024 in high spirits after a 9.9% rise in the MSCI World Index*. Smaller companies lagged their larger peers, with the MSCI World Small Cap Index rising 5.3%*.

As we approach the end of the tax year, many investors who have yet to invest their ISA allowance will no doubt be wondering where to turn. Should investors look towards US markets as optimism continues for large technology companies, or is now the time to spread your bets and back global?

To give you some inspiration, we had a look at which funds and topics have been the most popular among FundCalibre visitors over the past eight weeks** – the areas they are researching as they make their own decisions about where to invest their money.

Most popular funds and trusts this ISA season

The top 15 is dominated by eight global equity funds — four of which are global equity income offerings, including the most popular fund over the past eight weeks, Fidelity Global Dividend**. This is a core global income fund that invests in companies which offer a healthy and sustainable dividend yield. The managers value investing influence means he is less likely to overpay for a stock, which can help to protect against price falls in down markets.

And, despite the improving outlook and new opportunities in bonds in recent months, you’d have to go down the list to 23rd most viewed to find a fixed income fund.

Top 15 viewed funds and trusts**

  1. Fidelity Global Dividend
  2. Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust
  3. The City of London Investment Trust
  4. Sanlam Global Artificial Intelligence
  5. Baillie Gifford Global Discovery
  6. Guinness Global Equity Income
  7. Murray International Trust
  8. Baillie Gifford American
  9. Rathbone Global Opportunities
  10. Goldman Sachs India Equity Portfolio
  11. JPM Global Equity Income
  12. Fidelity Global Technology
  13. BlackRock Global Unconstrained Equity
  14. Artemis Income
  15. IFSL Marlborough UK Micro Cap Growth

Looking for the best-performing funds and trusts in the first quarter of 2024? We take a closer look at the top funds so far this year in this recent article.

Most popular sectors among FundCalibre visitors

Global equities are top of the sector searches on FundCalibre currently** with equities once again dominating. For those investors who want to maintain their exposure to equities, we’d highlight the opportunities in smaller companies.

  1. Global equities
  2. Global equity income
  3. European equities
  4. UK equities
  5. Multi-asset funds
  6. UK equity income
  7. US equities
  8. Japanese equities
  9. UK Smaller Companies
  10. Strategic Bonds

Want more insights on constructing your ISA this year? View our key themes for the 2024 ISA season or visit our ISA hub for interviews and more.

*Source: FE Analytics, total returns in sterling, 1 January 2024 to 29 March 2024

**Source: Google analytics, FundCalibre, 5 February to 1 April 2024

This article is provided for information only. The views of the author and any people quoted are their own and do not constitute financial advice. The content is not intended to be a personal recommendation to buy or sell any fund or trust, or to adopt a particular investment strategy. However, the knowledge that professional analysts have analysed a fund or trust in depth before assigning them a rating can be a valuable additional filter for anyone looking to make their own decisions.Past performance is not a reliable guide to future returns. Market and exchange-rate movements may cause the value of investments to go down as well as up. Yields will fluctuate and so income from investments is variable and not guaranteed. You may not get back the amount originally invested. Tax treatment depends of your individual circumstances and may be subject to change in the future. If you are unsure about the suitability of any investment you should seek professional advice.Whilst FundCalibre provides product information, guidance and fund research we cannot know which of these products or funds, if any, are suitable for your particular circumstances and must leave that judgement to you. Before you make any investment decision, make sure you’re comfortable and fully understand the risks. Further information can be found on Elite Rated funds by simply clicking on the name highlighted in the article.

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