It’s been another fairly rocky week in the markets, and some of the nervousness from around the globe is starting to spill over into UK investing sentiment. But where some see disaster, others are spotting opportunity.
After plenty of moaning about overvalued markets, now is definitely an exciting time for savvy investors. To help give you an insight, I’m going to reveal the shares most bought by UK investors last week and explain what these selections signal about the current investing landscape.
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What were the 10 most-bought shares last week?
According to the latest data from the Hargreaves Lansdown share dealing platform, these were the most-bought shares (by number of deals) last week:
| Position | Company |
| 1 | Unilever (ULVR) |
| 2 | Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY) |
| 3 | Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust (SMT) |
| 4 | Tesla (TSLA) |
| 5 | BP (BP) |
| 6 | Canadian Overseas Petroleum Ltd (COPL) |
| 7 | THG (THG) |
| 8 | International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG) |
| 9 | Helium One Global Ltd (HE1) |
| 10 | Boohoo Group (BOO) |
What do we know about these popular shares?
Here’s a quick breakdown of some of these top choices, and my thoughts on why they’re attracting so much buying action.
1. Unilever (ULVR)
Last week, Unilever hit the headlines following a failed £50 billion bid to take over a part of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). The company’s share price fell sharply as a result.
Now, speculation has been swirling that this giant British consumer goods conglomerate is in line to become a target for a big takeover.
It was recently reported that New York-based hedge fund Trian Partners (run by billionaire Nelson Peltz), has been ramping up its stake in the business. Investors have their eyes peeled to see what might happen next.
2. Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY)
Lloyds remains a popular choice with UK investors against a backdrop of high inflation and rising interest rates.
The whole financial sector has been tipped to do well in 2022. But Lloyds in particular is in pole position to benefit from the current state of the economy.
On top of this, last week saw reports of an upcoming £1 billion share buyback announcement to take place alongside the bank’s full-year results. So, perhaps investors are buying in anticipation of this news.
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3. Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust (SMT)
This much-loved investment trust can’t catch a break right now. Two of the investing areas that are having a real tough time at the moment are technology and Chinese stocks.
As Scottish Mortgage is heavily invested in both of these themes, its share price is taking a solid beating. However, this fund has hit such magnificent highs over the last few years that most long-term investors won’t be too bothered.
Many are spotting this dip in popularity as an opportune time to pick up cheap shares in what’s been one of the best-performing funds in the world.
4. Tesla (TSLA)
One of SMT’s major holdings, Tesla is bleeding alongside most other high-growth tech stocks.
Last week saw the company’s share price drop below $1,000 (£740) for the first time since 2021. So, it looks like many investors are seeing a good buying opportunity to pick up some shares in this mammoth electric vehicle stock.
5. BP (BP)
This was the number one most-bought share last week with Hargreaves Lansdown. Clearly, it remains a popular choice as investors are looking more closely at some of the more traditional holdings within the FTSE 100 index.
The company’s share price has been slipping lately, but lots of investors still see good long-term prospects for this energy behemoth.
How do you invest in these top shares?
If you’re completely new to the markets, you should check out our complete guide to share dealing. For those that already know the ropes, it’s important you have access to a top share dealing account that gives you access to a large choice of investment options.
This can allow you to create your own diversified portfolio and make sure you’re not concentrating too much on one area. Seeing as the end of the tax year is approaching, it’s also worth checking whether you’re making use of your allowances with an account such as the Hargreaves Lansdown Stocks and Shares ISA.
Even by being tax-efficient and using a variety of investments, it’s important to understand a couple of things. Firstly, past performance doesn’t dictate future results. Secondly, investing carries no guarantees. So, you may get out less than you put in.
