Stocks & Shares ISAs Delivering Strongest Performance Since 2009/10 Tax Year

By: MoneyFacts

• The average stocks & shares ISA fund has grown by 15.8% during the 2016/17 tax year so far, the highest return since the 2009/10 tax year.
• This compares with an average cash ISA rate of 1.01% over the same period.
• The average stocks & shares ISA has delivered positive growth in eleven of the 18 tax years since the introduction of ISAs in 1999.

As the 2016/17 tax year draws to a close, new research by Investment Life & Pensions Moneyfacts has revealed the extent to which stocks & shares ISA investors are being rewarded for their investment choice.

As things currently stand, 2016/17 is on course to be the best year for stocks & shares ISA performance since the 2009/10 tax year. The average stocks & shares ISA fund has delivered growth of 15.8% (see Table 1), the highest growth since the 2009/2010 tax year when the average return was 34.5%. By contrast, the average interest rate on cash ISAs (both fixed and variable rate) during the course of the 2016/17 tax year is 1.01%.

Table 1: Average ISA performance during 2016/17 tax year
(Source: Investment Life & Pensions Moneyfacts/Lipper) Figures as at 20.3.17.

Highlighting the productive period that investors have enjoyed in the current tax year is the fact that just 33 out of the 979 ISA funds surveyed (3%) have failed to delivered growth during this period. In terms of Investment Association sectors, the standout ISA performers during the current tax year have been Japanese Smaller Companies (40.1%), North American Smaller Companies (37.3%) and Japan (32.5%).

Richard Eagling, Head of Pensions and Investments at Moneyfacts, said:

“Despite considerable economic and political uncertainty the 2016/17 tax year has been a very productive period for most stocks and shares ISA funds. However, the dominance of cash ISAs over stocks and shares ISAs in terms of popularity means that many individuals will not have benefitted. ISAs have proved to be a phenomenal success since they were introduced almost 18 years ago but whether individuals are making the right choices is questionable. Cash ISAs remain the default choice for many investors despite low interest rates. Those reluctant to consider the merits of stocks and shares ISAs may think again if they can see the higher returns that they are potentially missing out from.”

www.moneyfacts.co.uk - The Money Search Engine

Moneyfacts.co.uk is the UK's leading independent provider of personal finance information. For the last 20 years, Moneyfacts' information has been the key driver behind many personal finance decisions, from the Treasury to the high street.

© 2005-2022 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.