Positive change in a negative year: What were the best-performing funds of 2020?

Sustainability and global equity vehicles dominate

US and global equity funds, as well as vehicles with a focus on sustainability, fared best throughout the course of 2020 according to data from FE fundinfo, with Baillie Gifford portfolios taking five of the top ten spots for best performers last year.

This comes despite the fact that, on a sector basis, IA North America came in seventh place out of 42 for its average total return of 16.2% over the course of 2020 - a modest outperformance of the S&P 500 index's return of 14.1%. That said, the IA Technology & Communications sector - a market area to which US equity indices have a significant exposure to - achieved the best average gain of 44.4% for the year as the pandemic boosted global dependence on technology. This was followed by IA China/Greater China with an average total return of 33.6% as the country became one of the first t...