Taking Profits on Portfolio as Bonds Sound Alarm Bells

Show Notes

This week on The Art of Investing, Rich McDonald joins Mark “Spice” Holden and Chris “CJ” Fellingham, bringing over 100 years of combined experience across wealth and hedge fund management, to unpack another fascinating week in global markets.

US equities pushed higher as investors piled back into AI, technology and cyclical trades, while copper and mining stocks extended their rally. The team debate whether markets are becoming too complacent, why copper remains a major long-term investment theme, and whether investors are underestimating ongoing economic risks.

This Week’s Highlights:

📈 Markets Continue Higher

US equities extended gains as optimism around AI, earnings and future rate cuts continued to support risk assets globally.

⚒️ Copper Leads The Charge

Copper and mining-related holdings delivered another strong week as the team revisit the long-term electrification and AI infrastructure story.

🤖 AI Momentum Remains Strong

Technology and AI-linked investments continue driving market performance as investors rotate back into growth assets.

⚠️ Are Investors Too Comfortable?

The team discuss whether markets are becoming overly optimistic despite ongoing geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty.

🇯🇵 Japan Still Performing

Japanese equities remained one of the strongest regions within the portfolio as international investors continue increasing exposure.

🪙 Crypto Volatility Returns

Crypto and blockchain-linked holdings remained highly reactive as sentiment swings continue across digital assets.

Portfolio Snapshot – Week 39:

Three positions were trimmed this week, with proceeds moved into cash. The team sold 5% VanEck Crypto ETF, 5% Vanguard FTSE 250, and 5% Xtrackers DAX ETF - raising the portfolio's cash position by 15%.

Weekly portfolio performance: +0.5%

Total return since inception: +21.9%

2026 year-to-date return: +9.4%

Top Performers:

🥇 WisdomTree Copper ETF: +8.5% WoW

🥈 BlackRock World Mining Trust PLC: +7.8% WoW

🥉 iShares Nikkei 225 ETF: +1.6% WoW

Underperformers:

📉 iShares MSCI India ETF: –4.6% WoW

📉 Xtrackers DAX ETF: –3.5% WoW

📉 Invesco Stoxx Euro 600 ETF GBP: –1.7% WoW

Big Questions This Week:

• Is the AI rally overcrowded?

• Why is copper such an important long-term theme?

• Are markets underpricing economic risks?

• Can mining stocks keep outperforming?

What You’ll Learn:

✔️ Why copper is linked to AI and electrification

✔️ How sentiment is driving markets

✔️ Why mining stocks remain strong

✔️ Warning signs investors should watch

📈 Download the full Portfolio Performance Slides

View the portfolio breakdown: here

📧 Get in touch: [e-mail]

Disclaimer:

This podcast is provided for educational and informational purposes only. The content presented is not intended as personal investment advice or a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any particular securities or investments. All discussions regarding the model portfolio are illustrative and for educational purposes.

Your capital is at risk. The value of shares, ETFs and ETCs can fall as well as rise, which could mean getting back less than you originally put in.

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What is The Art of Investing?

Looking to turn Market Chaos into Investing Clarity?

Welcome to The Art of Investing - a brand new podcast that transforms market noise into clear investing strategies. Brought to you by IG, global investing platform, FTSE 250 and over 50 years in the markets.

This isn't your typical finance show.

Whether you're taking your first steps into the investment world or you're a seasoned investor looking to sharpen your edge, you've found your new secret weapon.

Every Friday, join hosts Rich McDonald, Mark Holden & Chris Fellingham – three investing legends bringing you a combined century of market wisdom. They'll decode the week's biggest moves, reveal the hot topics that could make or break a portfolio, and share the insights that separate winners from wishful thinkers.

But here's where we blow every other podcast out of the water:

Introducing our live Model Portfolio. With IG's access to thousands of global markets, you'll watch our strategy unfold in real-time, unfiltered investment action, that you can follow.
Every week, we'll pull back the curtain on exactly how the portfolio is performing. The wins, the losses, the lessons learned – it's all here. This is investing education with skin in the game.

Are you ready to master the art of investing?

This podcast is provided for educational and informational purposes only. The content presented is not intended as personal investment advice, financial planning guidance, or a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any particular securities or investments. All discussions regarding the model portfolio are for educational purposes only. Past performance is not an indication of future results. Your capital is at risk. The value of shares, ETFs and ETCs can fall as well as rise, which could mean getting back less than you originally put in.