David Stevenson reviews an exceptional year in which most asset classes delivered strong returns, challenging assumptions about US market dominance. He also highlights a UK income trust, a Vietnam-focused opportunity, and the striking rise in precious metals, particularly silver. 2025 was a fairly extraordinary year in which nearly all risky assets and markets, including gold, […]
In this month’s funds column, David Stevenson weighs up whether US equities are truly in an AI bubble and highlights funds and asset classes that can diversify away from concentrated US tech. He also questions the proposed HICL/TRIG merger, favours INPP, and explores the fast-emerging opportunity in defence-focused SpaceTech. Are US equity markets in an […]
This month’s funds update looks at gold’s powerful long-term record and rising investor optimism.We also revisit a UK digital infrastructure trust and explore why Japanese equities are dazzling under new leadership. I couldn’t resist starting this monthly funds update on gold – and long-term data on its returns. For the record, I believe $ 5,000 […]
This month’s Funds article focuses on the UK economy and the fast-approaching autumn budget. We revisit the benefits of VCTs and suggest a shortlist for further research. We also remind UK investors that the UK stock market hasn’t been a bad bet over the last decade, despite the prevailing sense of gloom and economic frustration. […]
This month’s funds article explores why the US markets – and funds tracking them – are looking more than a tad top-heavy (think Nvidia and the AI craze). We also explore why investors should probably ignore geopolitics. Plus, we dig around into two very contrasting investment trusts: one that invests in smaller, private British companies […]
This month’s dive into the world of funds examines a high-quality way to invest in US equities, whose valuations are edging relentlessly higher. However, it’s not just US equities that are outperforming – after a prolonged period of underperformance, the share prices of many UK-listed alternative funds have pushed ahead. Buybacks are helping, and a […]
In this month’s funds overview, we examine two out-of-favour UK-listed investment trusts in a state of flux. We also explore Vietnam as a contrarian play in developing markets. And for income investors, we delve into a charity retail bond that offers a decent income. Investment trusts and strategic reviews: Syncona and SDCL, funds in transition […]
This month, in our regular funds column, we reveal that thematic defence equity exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are cleaning up, what might happen next to small-cap funds, why Coinbase might be a more exciting way into cryptocurrency, and the case for investing in Latin American funds. Defence funds Care to guess what the hottest equity theme […]
With markets in a volatile mood because of Trump Vs 2.0, in this month’s note on funds, we concentrate on income-producing fund ideas as well as funds that minimise market volatility by picking only those stocks with more defensive characteristics. We also outline an adventurous portfolio of high-yielding investment trusts and ponder whether UK small […]
Ever since Trump came back into power, the dynamics of the global stock market have changed. US equities are now flirting with a bear market, while European equities continue to power ahead. Even Chinese equities are outperforming US equities, and we’ve seen the Mag7 become less magnificent as the European defence sector surges ahead. These […]
This month’s fund article maps out why, ironically, European equities have been the big winners after President Trump’s general election victory back in November. We also look at higher-yielding corporate fallen angel bonds that might appeal to income investors, plus the China ETFs that track the local technology sector (which is booming), and finally, why […]
Investing in small and micro-cap stocks can be a risky exercise at the best of times, which is probably why funds and especially actively managed investment trusts have proved so popular. But there’s been a weight of academic research into small-cap investing, and it’s increasingly suggesting that small caps, especially in the UK, might not […]
Active exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are all the rage at the moment in funds land and may overtake investment trusts in the not-too-distant future. Crucially big, well-known names in fund management are lining up behind the idea. We dig a bit deeper. Plus, a deep dive into the world of Japanese benchmarks and funds. Active ETFs […]
Global stock market indices are widely used benchmarks and also form the core of a huge and growing range of exchange-traded funds. But what are the differences between these various indices? Taking that idea of global equities in one fund, Wisdom Tree has just issued what I think is a cracking one-fund solution, an ETF […]
In this month’s Funds Focus, David Stevenson looks at a recent report on the consolidation of investment trusts which has some quite revealing headline numbers. Plus he casts his eye over CLO & Charteris Funds and Equal Weight ETFs. We also ask whether it’s time to switch out of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) that track […]
In this month’s funds overview, we revisit the exciting world of gold and especially gold trackers which provide a regular income via options writing strategies. We also look at a very adventurous way of generating a big regular income, all through a well-established and successful investment trust. We also quickly glance at a new exchange-traded […]
Gold prices are moving steadily higher, yet most investors shun the shiny precious stuff. This month’s funds article looks at gold as an asset class, why professionals dislike it, and why UK investors have done well out of the precious metal. It also examines an innovative new way to invest in gold AND generate an […]
With markets, the US ones in particular, in a bullish mood over the summer months, and volatility still well below long-term averages (even after the recent tech sell-off), our monthly look at funds continues its search for ideas that could hedge downside risk, focusing this time on managed futures funds. On a more optimistic note, […]
With global stock markets in bullish form and the all-important US benchmark, the S&P 500, threatening to crash past the psychologically important 5500 level, our monthly fund’s report spins through some left-field ideas for bears and bulls from the world of ETFs and investment trusts. We look at everything from strategies that benefit from sudden […]
Our monthly funds roundup looks at why prospects for the UK economy and funds investing in our local markets might be looking up, the general election notwithstanding. We also repeat the bull case for gold and look at a model that suggests that gold could push closer to $2750 an ounce in an optimistic scenario. […]
Our regular monthly funds column looks at the bidding battle at music royalties fund Hipgnosis, the new ETF platform from Cathie Woods Ark Invest for UK investors, a new rare earth equities tracker, and the potential for a rebound in the listed private equity funds space. Plus, a think tank takes aim at ISAs. Hipgnosis […]
The gold price has been perking up in recent weeks – is now the time to be looking at the wide array of gold-based funds, especially in this era of monetary inflation powered by big government? This month David also looks at whether the private equity market is improving, plus he shines the spotlight again […]
This month we track down the listed investment funds which are still trading near their 52-week discount peaks and take a closer look at the worst offender in this category – the Digital 9 Infrastructure trust which is on the receiving end of yet more bad news. Not all big discount funds are worth the […]
In this month’s focus on funds, we take a quick look at asset class returns in 2023 courtesy of some wonderful heatmaps, we eavesdrop on a recent bank event at the state of UK PLC, and we examine an under-owned asset class that could be the verge of big things – local currency emerging markets […]
2023 was the year of AI and we end the year with a deep dive into the handful of AI-specific exchange-traded funds or ETFs listed on the London exchange. They all provide real diversification benefits but have lagged big well-known individual stocks such as Nvidia and Microsoft. We also have a deep dive into a […]
Investment trusts have rallied in recent days as investors bet on falling interest rates in the coming 18 months, pushing many funds off their 52-week discount highs. That’s left some investors worried they might have missed the big opportunities in funds land but there’s still plenty of very cheap – sometimes for a reason – […]
Given the surge in bond yields over the last few weeks, the monthly funds’ article focuses on the opportunities within the bond ETF space, looking first at the universe of cheap UK sterling bond ETFs and then at a wild shot idea, a US Treasury bond ETF that has been an utter dog in recent […]
There’s something of an income theme to this month’s funds focus. First up is a specialist lending fund whose shares have fallen sharply in value yet the fund is still churning out a reliable 8% plus yield. Next up we investigate the ups and downs of the music royalty funds – very much a yield […]
This months’ focus on funds explains why a peak in short-term government bond yields might presage a sudden turnaround in sentiment towards the listed infrastructure fund space. We also look at a stockmarket listed venture capital fund that is full of AI early-stage businesses but is valued at well below its book value by a […]
This month our funds expert focuses on ETFs and the listed hedge fund BH Macro. He looks at why you’d be better off investing in a small handful AI related stocks rather than AI ETFS and also looks at two new defensive-oriented ETF trackers, with one focused on covered call options writing. He also investigates […]
This month our funds expert outlines an alternative strategy for those investors looking for growth in global emerging markets – why focus on the big names of the EM space such as China and India, when you can invest in the next 1 billion potential consumers from 10 developing countries around the world? Back in […]
This month we have three main ideas for fund investors. The first is a closer look at the UKs’ premier, tier 1 listed venture capital firm which sits on a huge discount. A substantial discount does make sense, but the current level is way out of kilter for what is a business with a world-class […]
This month we have another gaggle of fund ideas, starting with a deep dive into gold index trackers – if you want a safe haven asset in volatile markets which are the best ETCs. Talking of deep dives we also identify a deeply discounted way of playing the digital infrastructure space. And last but by […]
In this months Funds Focus, David Stephenson looks at an Industrials play, Literacy Capital and whats going on at Scottish Mortgage and RIT. Capital spending has been booming in recent years. In 2021 and 2022 firms in the S&P 500 index of large American firms spent $2.5trn, equivalent to 5% of the country’s GDP, on […]
If you are brave enough to be a growth investor – a tough vocation in the current climate – then I think at some stage you need to have some exposure to the world of private businesses, preferably fast-growing ones which might turn into tomorrow’s tech leviathans. The best way to get this exposure is […]
This month we have three fund ideas based for readers. Our main focus is on how to pick the right global equities index tracking fund – ETFs that track FTSE vs MSCI! We also put US energy infrastructure on the radar, why the dollar might be weakening, and why a currency pair ETF might be […]
This month another gaggle of four ideas for fund-oriented investors. I have included a short guide to buying US equity ETFs – as you can imagine there’s lots of choice and I think some of the less widely used indices are quite compelling. I also introduce what I think is a much more viable alternative […]
A few weeks ago, I dug up a statistic that genuinely took my breath away. It came from VC-oriented asset manager Sparkline Capital – “Of the 1,495 US venture deals in the first half of the year, only 4.9% have been down rounds – a historical low!” My own view is that we are only in […]
Welcome to my quick monthly round-up of interesting, listed funds, be they investment trusts (or closed funds, as they are sometimes called) or index tracking exchange traded funds (ETFs). To repeat earlier articles for SharePad, I’m still fairly bearish about prospects for global equity markets but I am starting to see some opportunities start to […]
This month I have four new fund ideas for Sharepad susbcribers. As always, you can find out a lot more about these ideas via my regular newsletter at davidstevenson.substack.com. But for now, lets focus on some alternative investment ideas including both investment trusts and exchange traded funds (ETFs) – notably music royalty funds, investing in […]
Welcome to the new look funds focus where we shine a spotlight on some of the most interesting, listed funds on the London market, be they actively managed investment trusts (and closed-end funds) or index tracking exchange traded funds (otherwise known as ETFs). In each article, I’m going to try and pull together four very […]
David gives an update on his ETF portfolios. Read his previous update here. As 2021 draws to a (dismal) end, besieged yet again by Covid, I thought I’d share a quick update on my two model ETF based portfolios. To recap both were aimed at investors who want a low cost ETF model portfolio bult […]
Our funds expert embraces his inner bear, focusing on a long-established and successful Russian investment fund. For those worried about the fragile US monetary order, or wanting to play the upside in energy prices, Russia is a great starting point. And valuations are cheap. Before we delve a little deeper into our new fund for […]
Our funds specialist returns form a summer break with a new addition to the Prudent 15. It’s a lending fund that has built up a solid track record and offers cautious, income-oriented investors a solid 8% plus yield. My latest addition to the Prudent 15 is a slightly alternative income-oriented fund that has built up […]
Our funds specialist returns with a star performer in the relatively unloved European equities space: Montanaro European Smaller Companies Trust. He reckons now is the time to focus on fast growing European small caps. This week I have a relatively short note for you, outlining why I think now might be an interesting moment to […]
Our funds specialist returns with another new suggestion for the Dynamic 35, Digital 9 Infrastructure, although he argues it could also sit inside the Prudent 15 list as well. This fund is an asset-backed infrastructure fund with an exciting technology customer base who want to buy into a new digital world through mobile phone towers, […]
Our funds expert turns his attention to the slowly recovering property-focused real estate investment trusts sector. His new addition to the Dynamic 35 is a very actively managed pan European fund of funds that invests across a wide range of real asset-backed niches.
Investing in mining stocks is always a speculative exercise. Where are we in the cycle?
In these articles about funds, I have tended to steer clear of the many, many alternative funds listed on the London market. That is not because these funds are not interesting – many of them are – but because I felt their business model hasn’t entirely been proved.
Private equity fund in transition – new addition to Dynamic 35 Listed private equity funds have had a chequered record on the London Stock Exchange. On paper they are a great innovation, allowing private investors access to usually institutional grade alternative assets. Crucially they allow investors to put money to work in profitable, scaled up […]
Back in the middle of August I outlined two growth-oriented portfolios, comprising a gaggle of exchange traded funds. The first was a Global Trends portfolio, a collection of eight ETFs which aim to track a selection of key thematic big trends. To monitor performance, I established two live portfolios on the SharePad platform, with the […]
“While we have this euphoria it’s pretty hard to imagine the bubble breaking. But look at the data and you think this thing could go…” (Grantham, GMO, Dec 2020). “In every portfolio, you need to ask yourself what is going to be more relevant [in] five to 10 years versus today. The most interesting trend […]
Traditionally most investors tend to regard the division between developed markets (DM) and emerging markets (EM) as a simple divide. We all put more money in the DM but then try and make sure we have some, smaller exposure, to the broad gaggle of national markets which represents the developing world or EM for short. […]
This week I have a very adventurous addition to my list of 35 Dynamic funds. I admit that it’s not without risk and its recent track record hasn’t been fab if I’m honest but I think the seeds for a rapid turnaround are being laid and if nothing else a future redemption opportunity might provide […]
A new addition to the Dynamic 35 Aurora Investment trust I wanted to start this article with an immediate declaration. I am a non-executive director at my new addition to the Dynamic 35, the Aurora investment trust. As a general rule I tend not to discuss any fund where I have some form of professional […]
I have a new addition to my Dynamic 35 list of investment trusts and closed end funds. It is called RTW Venture and it is a venture capital fund which invests in life sciences businesses – mainly in the biotech and MedTech space. Its key differentiator is that it invests in later stage private businesses […]
This week I am focusing not on my usual subject of investment trusts but switching attention to exchange traded funds or ETFs. These are a useful vehicle for investors, and I think they can easily sit alongside investment trusts. What do I mean by that? Let’s say for instance that you want to have exposure […]
I do not think it is unfair to say that over the last decade we have seen a powerful shift in sentiment towards utility stocks, arguably in a very negative direction. For much of the last few decades, private investors could not get enough of these boring stocks. They paid out a generous dividend, seem […]
The safe bet on infrastructure: INPP (International Public Partnerships) Over the next couple of articles, we’ll be adding two new funds to our Prudent 15 list, both in the broad infrastructure and utilities space. My next article will be on a fund that invests very broadly in the shares of other infrastructure and utility companies […]
Witan – a long term buy and hold globalist fund with a value bias Investing should really be about simplicity. Take global investing. Nearly every investor should have some exposure to a globally diversified mix of developed world stock markets. How big that exposure depends on your risk tolerance and your own appetite for global […]
The SDCL Energy Efficiency Income Trust The idea of investing in a fund which will help facilitate the transition towards a more sustainable energy mix has spawned a small army of London listed closed end funds and investment trusts. At last count there are over a dozen such funds listed and with all of them […]
A smarter way of buying into the right kind of private growth businesses It is an unfortunate truth that more and more high growth businesses are choosing to stay private and ignore the public markets. Collectively we investors, institutional and private have done our best to make life difficult for highly rated , fast growing […]
Edinburgh Worldwide – a great long-term home for growth investors Investors in funds such as Scottish Mortgage will have noticed a very peculiar phenomenon over the last few turbulent weeks. On paper many of the growth-oriented businesses sitting in its portfolio stand on huge valuations (very high price to earnings ratios) which means that they […]
The Ruffer Investment Company – big bets on a global new normal “There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen” Lenin Generally, I have a very dismissive attitude towards the idea of absolute returns funds. The concept sounds alluring, whereas the delivery tends to be fairly dismal. The key idea […]
A big bet on Fintech worth taking at this price – Augmentum OK, I’m not going to beat around the bush. l readily concede that now is not a great time, all things considered, to be talking about investing in a high-risk venture capital fund that invests in equally high risk private European fintech firms, […]
Kicking off with BH Global (BHGG) You can always read more about my views on funds at my blog www.adventurousinvestor.com. I update this most days, especially useful during these volatile times when new investment opportunities emerge very quickly. I’m not going to bore readers with speculation about viruses and volatility but simply ask them to […]
The genomics revolution and the appeal of Syncona It’s easy to get carried away with the short to medium term noise coming out of stock markets. The corona virus has sent investors in the developed world heading for the exit. But in truth some sectors of the giant ‘technology’ sector were already beginning to suffer […]
I must say I’m very excited to be writing for SharePad and ShareScope. I’ve been an avid user of both for more than 10 years and I know that both products are widely used by smart investors who want to a more in-depth analysis of stocks and funds. Many of you will know me from […]
