BlackRock Gold & General, Aberdeen Emerging Markets and Invesco Perpetual High Income are the most popular fund holdings for Isa customers, according to TD Waterhouse.
The stockbroker says that BlackRock Gold & General is investors' most popular Isa fund for the third year in a row, with gains in the gold price continuing to fuel demand for the fund. Gold closed last year's trading at or around all-time highs in all major currencies, rising 29.8 per cent against the dollar (gold's second-best annual gain against the greenback in the past decade), while the BlackRock fund posted a return for 2010 of 42 per cent.
Darren Hepworth, trading and customer services director at TD Waterhouse, says: "Our investors appear to be seeking some solidity in light of the continued eurozone sovereign debt crisis and concerns over possible future inflation."
Meanwhile, research from Barclays Stockbrokers reveals that almost a quarter of investors (23 per cent) are considering commodities such as gold and oil for investments in their Isa, influenced by events in the Middle East.
Paul Inkster, head of product at Barclays Stockbrokers, says: "Events in the Middle East have certainly dominated the news agenda of late and we see some investors reacting to developments by adjusting their tax-efficient investment portfolios - in some cases by turning to traditional 'safe havens', such as more developed markets and gold."
Top10 most popular Isa fund holdings*
| 1 | BlackRock Gold & General Acc |
| 2 | Aberdeen Emerging Markets A Acc NAV |
| 3 | Invesco Perpetual High Income Inc |
| 4 | JPMorgan Natural Resources A Acc NAV |
| 5 | First State Greater China Growth A NAV |
| 6 | Gartmore China Opportunities Ret Acc |
| 7 | First State Indian Subcontinent A Acc |
| 8 | Aberdeen Asia Pacific Acc |
| 9 | Fidelity Special Situations GBP Acc |
| 10 | First State Asia Pacific Leaders A Acc |
Notes: *TD Waterhouse top 10 Isa fund holdings as at 8 February 2011
Black Rock Gold & General A Acc
| Annual returns | Total return % |
| 2011 YTD* | -11.05 |
| 2010 | 41.99 |
| 2009 | 39.34 |
| 2008 | -17.44 |
| 2007 | 40.76 |
| 2006 | 17.81 |
Source: Morningstar
Notes: *Trailing returns to 14 March 2011
