FundsNetwork unveils best selling sectors on the platform over 2006

Fidelity FundsNetwork, the UK’s leading investment platform, has revealed the top 10 best selling sectors on the platform for 2006, based on total sales across all available product types, (including ISAs, SIPPS and Onshore Investment Bond wrappers).

UK Equity Income was knocked off the top spot for most popular sector, being exceeded by Specialist. This was in contrast to the 2005 positions which saw UK All Companies ranking second. This shows that the property funds launched in the UK over the past year have been popular with investors.

The Specialist sector leaped from 7th to 1st position over 2006, driven in large part by property and natural resources funds, while the UK Smaller Companies sector dropped off the leader board this year and has been replaced by the Balanced Managed sector (probably reflecting the rise and rise of multi-manager funds). UK All Companies dropped down one position to 3rd, moving further away from the No. 1 position it held in both 2003 and 2004 which it lost to its successor – UK Equity Income in 2005. Other top 10 sectors such as UK Other Bond and Active Managed have remained fairly consistent across 2005 and 2006.

Interestingly, a typical FundsNetwork account now holds on average four funds, proving that investors are taking advantage of diversify their portfolios with the range of funds offered by Fidelity and FundsNetwork.

Rob Fisher, Head of FundsNetwork Marketing, comments:“The Specialist sector has gained much ground over 2006, and risen from 7th to take up the position of 1st proving the most popular on the platform, closely followed by the two major UK sectors. This seems to be connected to the fact that investors are taking advantage of the many property funds launched in the UK over the last year.

Fisher added:”Just as last year’s analysis of our sector sales also demonstrated, investors are taking an increasingly diversified approach to their investments, which is very encouraging. Looking ahead to the prospects of ISA season and beyond in 2007, we believe that the specialist sector will continue to dominate and UK equity income and multi-manager products are also likely to remain popular.”

2006
1 Specialist
2 UK Equity Income
3 UK All Companies
4 Cautious Managed
5 UK Corporate Bond
6 UK Other Bond
7 Europe Excluding UK
8 Global Growth
9 Active Managed
10 Asia Pacific Excluding Japan


2005
1 UK Equity Income
2 UK All Companies
3 UK Corporate Bond
4 UK Other Bond
5 Cautious Managed
6 Europe Excluding UK
7 Specialist
8 Active Managed
9 Global Growth
10 UK Smaller Companies