Episode Details
Back to Episodes
British Bargain Basement: Why UK companies are selling out?
Description
📊 The Art of Investing Survey – Fill in the form here, we’d love your feedback: https://forms.office.com/e/tCyxzN48Ks
📈 Download the full Portfolio Performance Slides
View the portfolio breakdown: here
📧 Get in touch: theartofinvesting@ig.com
📱 Behind the scenes: @_theartofinvesting on TikTok
🎧 Listen on: Apple, Spotify, YouTube
This week on The Art of Investing, the team navigate a shortened trading week where, despite markets feeling under pressure, the portfolio continues to edge higher, now up +22.6% since inception and +10.1% year-to-date.
But beneath the surface, things are shifting quickly.
With oil surging nearly 20% in just a few days, bond yields climbing, and AI continuing to redirect capital across the global economy, the team unpack a market that feels increasingly volatile, even when headline performance looks steady.
From strong moves in commodities to sharp declines in legacy tech, and a wave of takeover activity across the UK, this episode explores where capital is flowing, and what that means for investors right now.
This Week’s Highlights:
📈 Portfolio Pushes Higher
A positive start to the week sees the portfolio rise +1.1%, continuing its strong long-term performance.
⚒️ Copper Leads the Charge
WisdomTree Copper ETF tops the leaderboard, up +4.1%, driven by falling inventories and strong demand signals.
🛢️ Oil Jumps Sharply
Oil prices surge nearly 20%, lifting commodities and adding pressure across global markets.
🤖 AI Reshaping Markets
Capital continues to rotate into AI, with traditional software names like IBM falling sharply as spending shifts.
📊 Volatility Around Earnings
Large swings in individual stocks highlight a market increasingly driven by expectations vs reality.
🇬🇧 UK Takeover Activity Surges
A wave of M&A activity points to potential undervaluation, with significantly more takeovers than new listings.
📉 Bond Yields Climb
Rising yields suggest markets are beginning to price in the possibility of higher interest rates.
Portfolio Snapshot – Week 48:
No changes were made to the portfolio this week.
📊 Weekly portfolio performance: +1.1%
📈 Total return since inception: +22.6%
📅 2026 year-to-date return: +10.1%
Top Performers:
📈 WisdomTree Copper ETF: +4.1% WoW
📈 BlackRock World Mining Trust PLC: +2.0% WoW
📈 iShares Nikkei 225 ETF: +2.0% WoW
Underperformers:
📉 iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF: +0.3% WoW
📉 iShares Core FTSE 100 ETF: +0.3% WoW
📉 iShares UK Gilts 0–5yr ETF: 0.0% WoW
Big Questions This Week:
• Is the surge in oil prices sustainable, or just a short-term shock?
• Are bond markets signalling that interest rates could move higher again?
• How much disruption is AI really causing across traditional industries?
• Why are UK companies being taken over at such a high rate?
• What does continued volatility mean for portfolio positioning?