It has already been an eventful year for investors – and it is only July. From conflict in the Middle East to the world’s biggest ever IPO, there has been no shortage of drama. Yet global stock markets have continued to edge higher. This tension between optimism and uncertainty has been one of the defining themes shaping investment decisions in 2026.
So, what have personal investors been buying?
Read on for the top 10 ISA and SIPP funds this year, or click below for the best-selling investment trusts and exchange traded funds (ETFs).
Tom’s picks
In January, Fidelity’s investment director Tom Stevenson published three fund picks for 2026: Dodge & Cox Worldwide – Global Stock, Fidelity Special Situations, and Lazard Emerging Markets. Personal investors were clearly paying attention, as all three are best-sellers this year.
The funds offer different ways to diversify your portfolio away from America’s Big Tech scene. Dodge & Cox is a value-focused fund with a wide range of holdings. Only half the portfolio is invested in the US – well below a neutral weighting – while Europe, the UK and emerging markets are over-represented.
The fund doesn’t shun technology entirely. Its biggest stake is in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world’s biggest chip maker. However, Alphabet and Microsoft are the only ‘Magnificent Seven’ stocks to appear in the fund’s top holdings, as of March.
Its portfolio is fairly concentrated with under 100 holdings, and it is at the riskier end of the spectrum. As such, it is more suitable for investors with a long time-horizon of ten years or more.
Fidelity Special Situations also hunts for cheap stocks, but it has its eyes squarely on the UK market. Fund manager Alex Wright has years of experience seeking out London-listed companies going through tough times. The portfolio is skewed towards medium- and smaller-sized businesses, but big names like Lloyds and AstraZeneca feature among its top holdings too. It currently leans towards industrial stocks, and the consumer discretionary sector.
Last up: Lazard. Lazard Emerging Markets mainly invests in Asia and Latin America and looks for companies that are cheaper than the market but with better fundamental prospects. It aims to outperform the MSCI Emerging Markets Index with less volatility.
Crucially, the fund steers clear of some of the Asian mega-caps. It doesn’t currently hold Samsung, for example, and underweights TSMC. Fund manager James Donald has expressed nervousness about how the artificial intelligence story is unfolding.
Retirement Builder
The Fidelity Multi Asset Allocator Growth Fund is a hit with SIPP customers this year.
This multi-asset fund forms the basis of Fidelity’s Retirement Builder and is a fuss-free investment option for customers who want stable growth and a diversified portfolio.
The fund is split roughly 60/40 between higher risk assets like shares and lower risk assets like bonds. By spreading their money across different asset classes, investors are hoping for less volatility and smoother returns over the long term. Historically, stocks and bonds have moved in opposite directions, although this hasn’t always played out.
Retirement Builder is designed to be medium-risk and low-cost, and suits customers who want to invest in their pension but don’t know where to get started.
Global trackers
World tracker funds are also popular this year, with Fidelity Index World Fund, Vanguard FTSE Global All Cap Index, Legal & General Global Equity Index Fund and HSBC FTSE All World Index all making it onto the best-sellers list.
These tracker funds let you invest in both developed and emerging markets for a relatively low fee. They also offer plenty of exposure to the tech sector, given that the ‘Magnificent 7’ represent about a fifth of the global market – and this doesn’t account for the newly listed tech giant SpaceX.
It is easy to think that all tracker funds are the same – but they’re not. The Vanguard fund is more diversified than many, offering exposure to developed and emerging markets. Its top 10 holdings represent just over a fifth of the total portfolio. In contrast, the Fidelity fund focuses exclusively on developed markets, and its top 10 holdings represent 27% of the total portfolio. The HSBC and L&G funds sit somewhere in between.
A big part of the appeal of all these funds, however, is their price. They allow you to ride the ups and downs of the global market for an ongoing charge of between 0.12% and 0.23%.
Cash funds
Investors steered away from money market funds in early 2026 but are coming back to them as the year progresses. This may be due to worries about stock market valuations. Enthusiasm for AI is booming, and valuations are high.
The trajectory of interest rates has also changed since the Middle East conflict. At the start of 2026, people thought the Bank of England would cut rates this year. However, traders now expect a hike within the next 12 months. The return you can get from low-risk money market funds is looking more attractive, therefore.
Money market funds – also known as cash funds – act a bit like variable-rate savings accounts. They are very low risk and aim to track UK interest rates. They do this by investing your money in things like government debt and bonds from reputable companies. Savers’ money is pooled with other investors and used to purchase these assets in the pursuit of growth.
The Fidelity Cash Fund is proving a favourite this year, as is the Royal London Short Term Money Market Fund. They have an ongoing charge of 0.15% and 0.1% respectively.
Income hunters
Personal investors are on the hunt for dividends too. The Artemis Global Income Fund has been very popular this year, as has Fidelity Global Dividend Fund.
Fidelity Global Dividend Fund is an actively managed fund that targets companies with healthy yields underpinned by rising income. The portfolio invests across a variety of sectors and geographies, offering a good level of diversification (the US represents less than a quarter of the portfolio). It also aims to deliver less volatility than the wider market, which may be attractive in today’s unpredictable world.
The Artemis Global Income Fund has a different focus. It is heavily weighted towards the financial sector and has some chunky exposure to emerging markets. Like the Fidelity fund, however, it has limited its US holdings and is looking for generous dividend yields. Free cash flow is its key metric, and it has delivered explosive growth over the past 12 months. It has more of a macro mindset than many funds, assessing how things like inflation and interest rates will impact countries and sectors.
The fund also stands out for its focus on lesser-known companies. While familiar names like Samsung feature among its top holdings, others – such as Hanwha Aerospace – are less widely covered in the UK.
The fund has had a fantastic few years. While Fidelity Global Dividend aims to dampen volatility, however, Artemis Global Income’s performance has lurched around in the past.
Best-selling ISA funds of 2026
- Fidelity Index World Fund
- Lazard Emerging Markets Fund
- Fidelity Cash Fund
- Artemis Global Income Fund
- Vanguard FTSE Global All Cap Index Fund
- Royal London Short Term Money Market Fund
- Dodge & Cox Worldwide – Global Stock Fund
- Legal & General Global Equity Index Fund
- HSBC FTSE All World Index
- Fidelity Global Dividend Fund
Source: Fidelity International. Net ISA sales 1 Jan to 30 June 2026 for Personal Investors only.
Best-selling SIPP funds of 2026
- Fidelity Cash Fund
- Artemis Global Income Fund
- Lazard Emerging Markets Fund
- Fidelity Index World Fund
- Fidelity Multi Asset Allocator Growth Fund
- Vanguard FTSE Global All Cap Index Fund
- Royal London Short Term Money Market Fund
- Fidelity Special Situations Fund
- HSBC FTSE All World Index
- Dodge & Cox Worldwide – Global Stock Fund
Source: Fidelity International. Net SIPP sales 1 Jan to 30 June 2026 for Personal Investors only.
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