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Top 10 most popular ETFs investors are holding in their Isas
Isa (Individual Savings Account) investors are still leaning into the US stock market despite recent wobbles, while also allocating to gold, clean energy, and British equities.
US-focused funds account for four of the ten most-held exchange traded funds among Isa investors on investment platform SandstoneFX.
Performance from US large caps, led by the Magnificent Seven, has been outstanding in recent years. That success has encouraged many UK investors to look across the Atlantic when building portfolios.
As a result, three ETFs tracking the flagship US index, the S&P 500, appear in SandstoneFX’s top ten, alongside a Nasdaq 100 fund targeting America’s tech-heavy benchmark. Among these, iShares S&P 500 Information Technology Sector has delivered the strongest five-year result, with a 187.45% total return thanks to its focus on big tech.
In second place over five years sits the Invesco EQQQ Nasdaq 100 ETF, up 140.18%.
Global exposure also ranks highly. Two FTSE All-World ETFs feature, joined by Vanguard’s FTSE All-World High Dividend Yield, which targets dividend payers worldwide.
The iShares Physical Gold ETF takes third place overall, buoyed by a bullion price that recently moved above $3,000 for the first time.
It is the top performer over one year, returning 43.17%. That is almost double the next best one-year performer, iShares Core S&P 500 at 23.31%.
Investors are also backing decarbonisation efforts, with iShares Global Clean Energy in sixth place. A resurgent UK market secured ninth via Vanguard’s FTSE 100 ETF.
That said, iShares Global Clean Energy has struggled, down 13.72% over one year and 10.17% over five years, which will have disappointed many holders.
By contrast, UK large caps have staged a modest comeback. The FTSE 100 ETF returned 17.67% over one year and 46.92% over five years.
Below, we unpack the top ten in more detail.
Want to make the most of these ETFs in your own Individual Savings Account? Then open up a SandstoneFX account today!
Investing in ETFs
Exchange traded funds pool investor capital to buy baskets of securities. They trade on stock exchanges, are priced daily, and are easy to buy and sell.
Most ETFs are passive and track an index, although a growing number are actively managed with teams aiming to outperform.
An index is simply a defined basket. For example, a FTSE All-Share ETF mirrors the UK market of that name, while an S&P 500 ETF mirrors that US benchmark. Some indices are engineered to target specific factors, such as high dividends.
ETFs can also follow commodity prices like gold or coffee. A physical ETF holds the underlying asset, while a synthetic ETF uses derivatives to replicate price moves. Simple, broad-market ETFs tend to be low cost, which can make them a straightforward, affordable way to invest.
The top 10 ETFs in investors’ Isas
These are the ten most popular ETFs in SandstoneFX investors’ Isas at the end of February 2025, with duplicate share classes removed. Figures to 26 February 2025.
The Top 3
- Vanguard S&P 500
Tracks the S&P 500, a market-cap weighted index of 500 of the largest US companies. Top holdings include Apple (7.2%), Nvidia (6.1%), Microsoft (5.8%), Amazon (3.9%), and Meta (2.9%). Ongoing charges: 0.07%.
One-year total return: 19.47%
Five-year total return: 92.35% - Vanguard FTSE All-World
Tracks 3,657 large and mid-cap companies across developed and emerging markets. Regional split: US 66%, Europe 15%, emerging markets 9.5%, UK 3.6%. Ongoing charges: 0.22%.
One-year total return: 16.23%
Five-year total return: 75.76% - iShares Physical Gold
Tracks the gold spot price through bullion holdings. As of March 2025 it held 213 tonnes in trust. Ongoing charges: 0.12%.
One-year total return: 43.17%
Five-year total return: 79.56%
The Rest of the Top 10
iShares Core S&P 500
One-year total return: 23.31%
Five-year total return: 109.33%
iShares S&P 500 Information Technology Sector
One-year total return: 22.00%
Five-year total return: 187.45%
iShares Global Clean Energy
One-year total return: -13.72%
Five-year total return: -10.17%
Vanguard FTSE All-World High Dividend Yield
One-year total return: 15.10%
Five-year total return: 33.49%
Invesco EQQQ Nasdaq-100
One-year total return: 18.76%
Five-year total return: 140.18%
Vanguard FTSE 100
One-year total return: 17.67%
Five-year total return: 46.92%
Invesco FTSE All-World
One-year total return: 16.66%
Five-year total return: 32.49%
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