This time of year is typically busy for people who own ISAs. Investing activity picks up as people make last-minute buys before the tax year slams shut, and remains high after 6 April as investors start using their new annual allowances.
The 2026 ISA season has been especially hectic. The reason? Following stock market volatility, some top stocks are trading at decade-low prices, providing excellent dip buying opportunities.
So what have Stocks and Shares ISA users been buying in recent days and weeks? Let’s take a look.
Funds in demand
Data from Hargreaves Lansdown provides a great snapshot of investor behaviour. With more than 2m clients, it’s an accurate bellwether of how Britain on the whole has been investing.
So what’s been in high demand on its trading platform? According to Hargreaves’ lead investment analyst Kate Marshall, ISA investors “favoured global equity tracker funds and US-focused investments in the final days of the tax year“.
More specifically, the company said it witnessed “strong demand for low-cost, diversified funds, alongside allocations to areas including technology and precious metals” between 30 March and 3 April.
Hargreaves said index funds with globally-diverse strategies were especially popular, with Fidelity Index World and Vanguard FTSE Global All Cap Index topping the list. US shares were also a popular choice through funds like the Legal & General US Index.
Top trust
Elsewhere, Hargreaves Lansdown said it enjoyed strong demand for investment trusts and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). It noted that Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust (LSE:SMT) “was the most bought, reflecting continued appetite for long-term growth strategies“.
Hargreaves added that technology was a popular theme that also boosted interest in Polar Capital Technology Trust.
Reflecting strong investor demand, Scottish Mortgage shares have leapt 20.6% in value over the last month. Yet, at £13.77, the trust still trades at a slight discount to its net asset value (NAV) per share (-3.1%). It’s an attractive trust to consider to capitalise on the booming digital economy.
There is some risk here, as a focus on tech stocks like Amazon, Nvidia, and SpaceX leaves it exposed to cyclical downturns. With the Iran war threatening to escalate again and worsen current economic challenges, the danger is especially acute right now.
But as Hargreaves notes, Scottish Mortgage remains popular for long-term investors. I’m not surprised: over the coming decades, the trust could deliver terrific returns as themes like artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, e-commerce, and robotics take off.
What else are ISA investors buying?
On the ETF front, funds focused on US and global equities were again popular among Hargreaves clients. The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF and Vanguard FTSE All-World ETF were the most bought-ETFs between 30 March and 3 April.
I love the idea of holding ETFs and trusts as a way to diversify one’s portfolio. It’s why I own several myself, along with a mix of individually selected stocks. It’s a strategy I’m confident will help me generate long-term wealth.
