What's Hot? What's Not? Top and Bottom 10 funds for 2016

Fri 06 Jan 2017

By Sam Lees

Access Level | public

What's Hot What's Not

Print

up downSee commentary below the table.

Top 10

Manager

Fund

Sector

Performance (%)

Fund Size (m)

Investec

 Global Gold

 Specialist

83.62

91.8

JPM

 Natural Resources

 Specialist

80.72

777.4

BlackRock

 Gold & General

 Specialist

80.02

1164.5

CF Ruffer

 Gold

 Specialist

76.66

656.5

Neptune

 Russia & Greater Russia

 Specialist

72.69

193.0

First State

 Global Resources

 Global

69.45

521.5

Aberdeen

 Latin American Equity

 Specialist

64.12

192.4

Investec

 Enhanced Natural Resources

 Specialist

60.07

102.2

Jupiter

 Emerging European Opportunities

 Specialist

55.76

108.4

JPM

 Emerging Europe Equity

 Specialist

52.79

77.0

 

Bottom 10

Manager

Fund

Sector

Performance (%)

Fund Size (m)

FP Argonaut

 Absolute Return

 Targeted Absolute Return

-25.63

227.0

CF Odey

 Absolute Return

 Targeted Absolute Return

-18.25

817.6

City Financial

 Absolute Equity

 Targeted Absolute Return

-10.94

209.1

M&G

 Property Portfolio

 Property

-7.23

3982.1

BlackRock

 Dynamic Return Strategy

 Targeted Absolute Return

-7.22

218.5

Jupiter

 UK Growth

 UK All Companies

-7.13

1441.7

Aberdeen

 UK Property

 Property

-5.66

519.3

Threadneedle

 Absolute Return Bond

 Targeted Absolute Return

-5.22

88.2

Threadneedle

 UK Property AIF

 Property

-5.21

973.2

BlackRock

 European Absolute Alpha

 Targeted Absolute Return

-5.18

93.8

 

Best funds of 2016

Gold and natural resources have been the story of the year.  Of the top 10 funds, 6 are natural resources or gold funds.  The largest of them is the BlackRock Gold & General fund, at just over £1bn.  Russian equities had a good 2016 turning around thanks in part to the rising price of oil.  Emerging European funds like Jupiter Emerging European Opportunities benefitted from Russia's good fortune.  The fund has 56% invested in Russia.

A Latin American fund makes up the rest of the top 10 funds thanks to stronger commodity prices and China's demand for resources to fuel growth.  

Worst funds of 2016

There are 6 Targeted Absolute Return funds in the bottom table.  This sector is where investors may look to seek out dull, dependable funds for the heart of a portfolio.  The poor performance in 2016 from some of these funds shows the dangers lurking under the surface of this sector with its mishmash of funds that make up the sector.

Brexit hurt a number of Targeted Absolute Return funds and also put pressure on some Property and UK All Companies funds.

We wrote at length about property funds earlier in the year (see here and here for more).  It isn’t surprising to see some of these funds at the bottom but we still have faith in certain areas of the property sector: selective commercial property outside of London and the Southeast where yields are still attractive.

A UK All Companies fund makes up the rest of the bottom table thanks to its tough start to 2016 and Brexit.  Political uncertainty will be a major theme globally in 2017 but will be particularly acute for the UK as negotiations around the exit from the EU project proceed. 

There are many opportunities for careful investors and we’ll continue to highlight these as we go through 2017.

ACTION FOR INVESTORS

  • These tables show the importance of maintaining a disciplined process for investing.. 
  • 2016 has been a real rollercoaster.  The outlook for 2017 is one of selective opportunities.
  • Expect volatility.  But don’t confuse volatility with risk.

FURTHER READING

 

 

Data notes: Retail UT/OEICs universe, >£50m in size, 1/1/16-31/12/16

Categories:

What's Hot What's Not

Print

Share this post: