Six global funds offering six very different ways to invest

By Darius McDermott on 9 September 2026 in Global

Global funds are hugely popular with UK investors. They currently have £261.3 billion in the IA Global sector, according to the latest figures from the Investment Association*.

This is more than £100 billion more than IA UK All Companies, which is in second place with £153.7 billion*. IA North America comes in a distant third with £125.5 billion of funds under management*. But not all global funds are the same – so which are worth considering?

What you need to know about global funds

Funds in the IA Global sector are ideal for those wanting broad exposure as they must invest at least 80% of their assets in international equities.

However, choosing a fund is not easy. There is a vast array of portfolios to choose from and most will vary enormously in their objectives. For example, funds that focus on household name multinationals could sit alongside those that concentrate on developing markets.

Choosing the right fund for you

That’s why you need to do your research. Decide which parts of the world you’d like exposure to and then hunt for a fund that fits the bill.

To help in your search, we have selected six funds from within the IA Global sector, all of which have very different investment aims and objectives.

For investors looking for high-quality global companies, Brown Advisory Global Leaders is a concentrated portfolio of just 30-40 stocks. The managers look for businesses capable of compounding their returns over many years, with particular emphasis on companies delivering superior outcomes for their customers. This focus helps identify businesses with strong competitive positions and sustainable long-term growth potential.

We particularly like the depth of fundamental research and the managers’ willingness to analyse both their successes and mistakes to continually improve their process. It could make an interesting option for investors seeking a focused, long-term approach to global equities.

For something away from the world’s largest companies, IFSL Marlborough Global SmallCap focuses on smaller businesses across developed markets. The team looks for “unrecognised growth”: companies whose future earnings potential may not yet be reflected in their share prices. Smaller companies receive less analyst coverage than their larger peers, which can create opportunities for active managers to uncover overlooked businesses. This is a genuine small-cap portfolio, rather than one that gradually drifts towards larger companies. The managers also take a patient approach, with many of the fund’s largest holdings owned for more than six years.

For investors looking for sustainable growth opportunities across the global economy, Liontrust Sustainable Future Global Growth takes a thematic approach to finding the structural trends that could shape our future. Its portfolio of 40-60 stocks can tap into a wide range of themes, from improving health and resource efficiency to technological innovation, rather than focusing on one particular area of sustainability. The managers combine this with a strong emphasis on company quality and management. We like the flexibility of the approach, which has allowed the fund to evolve as new sustainable trends emerge while remaining committed to the same rigorous investment philosophy over the past two decades.

For investors wanting exposure to artificial intelligence as a long-term growth theme, the Polar Capital Artificial Intelligence fund stands out for its breadth. Rather than confining itself to technology stocks, it looks across every sector for companies best placed to benefit from AI, whether they are building the infrastructure or adopting the technology to transform their own businesses.

Backed by Polar Capital’s specialist technology team and led by Xuesong Zhao, the fund combines this broad thematic reach with rigorous, valuation-led stock selection. It offers a differentiated way to access one of the most important structural growth themes of the coming decades, although investors should expect greater volatility than from a more diversified global fund.

Ranmore Global Equity offers something very different from many of its growth-focused Global sector peers: a genuine value approach. The managers hunt for companies they believe are trading for less than they are worth, investing across businesses of different sizes and regions. The portfolio is significantly different from the wider global stock market and also has greater exposure to medium and smaller companies. This means it could be particularly useful for investors whose existing global holdings are dominated by large US growth and technology businesses. We think Ranmore is a hidden gem and an interesting way to introduce value exposure and greater diversification into a portfolio.

For a more specialist allocation, Regnan Sustainable Water and Waste focuses on companies involved in solving global water and waste challenges. The portfolio invests across both value chains, finding businesses involved in areas such as water infrastructure, treatment, recycling and waste management. These themes receive considerably less attention than areas such as technology or clean energy, helping make the fund very different from a traditional global equity portfolio. It also tends to invest in medium-sized companies, providing another source of diversification. The fund has an experienced specialist team and a low overlap with mainstream global funds, although its narrow focus makes it a more specialist holding.

*Source: Investment Association, July 2026