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Best performing funds and trusts of 2022 so far
It’s been a rocky start to the year for investors to say the least. The rotation from growth to value strategies continued in January as world economies opened up, before persistently high and climbing inflation started to grab the headlines. The uncertainty only worsened as Russia invaded Ukraine.
Stock markets hate uncertainty and the first three months of 2022 have been volatile. Most major markets are down or flat year-to-date*, with the exception of Latin America, which has had a flying start to the year. The MSCI Emerging Market Latin America index is up more than 30%, led by Peru and Brazil*.
But which funds and trusts have held up best?
Best performing Elite Rated funds and trusts in the first quarter of 2022
The standout performers during the first quarter of the year have been those funds and trusts exposed to natural resources in some way – those investing in mining companies, gold and Latin American companies.
“The Russian invasion of Ukraine, on top of the pandemic, has exacerbated the increase in the price of commodities,” commented Juliet Schooling Latter, research director at FundCalibre.
“Commodities were already enjoying a good run of rising prices, but the disruption in supply has just increased their costs exponentially.
“Russia is such a big supplier of oil and gas, that rising petrol and energy prices are obviously making the headlines. But it is also a big supplier of other commodities – nickel, aluminium, copper, steel and platinum to name a few – while Ukraine is a big supplier of wheat and corn. So, other countries that also export these commodities, such as those in Latin America, are also benefiting from the price rises as supply has become constrained.”
Top ten performing Elite Rated funds and trusts in the first quarter of 2022*
| Rank | Fund/Trust name | Q1 2022 percentage returns* |
| 1 | BlackRock World Mining Trust | 28.7% |
| 2 | ASI Latin American Equity | 26.3% |
| 3 | Ninety One Global Gold | 18.0% |
| 4 | Murray International Trust | 10.1% |
| 5 | Jupiter Gold & Silver | 9.6% |
| 6 | Polar Capital Global Insurance | 9.0% |
| 7 | The City of London Investment Trust | 7.2% |
| 8 | Lazard Global Equity Franchise | 6.8% |
| 9 | M&G Global Dividend | 6.5% |
| 10 | JOHCM Global Opportunities | 6.1% |
Darius and Juliet shared more thoughts and insights into the first quarter of 2022 on the Investing on the go podcast
*Source: FE fundinfo, total returns in sterling, 1 January to 29 March 2022.
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.
