Gold, energy and China . . . where experts invest THEIR allowances

SUSANNAH STREETER: head of markets, hargreaves Lansdown. FUND PICK: troy trojan. FIVE-YEAR RETURN (on £10,000): £12,700.

IT’S important your portfolio is well diversified across a range of geographies, sectors and asset classes.

For my stocks-and-shares Isa, I’ve gone for multi-asset funds, which combine stocks with more defensive assets like gold and quality government bonds. These should help provide stability.

Troy Trojan combines wellknown companies with solid growth plans, alongside more defensive picks.

SHERIDAN ADMANS, head of fund selection, Tillit. FUND PICK: Lightman european. FOUR-YEAR RETURN (on £10,000): £15,600 (fund launched in 2019).

I’M FOCUSING on regions where valuations are less risky.

Europe is one such region — not least given that its company valuations are generally much lower than the U.S. (meaning they are less exposed to inflation). Despite the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis, indicators suggest the continent may avoid a recession.

The Lightman European fund aims to reduce risk by backing companies whose profits have a decent margin of safety. Current picks include ING (a Dutch bank), Volkswagen, Santander, Shell and steelmaker ArcelorMittal.

JASON HOLLANDS, managing director, Bestinvest. FUND PICK: artemis uk Select. FIVE-YEAR RETURN: £14,200

TWO markets I’m relatively upbeat on at the moment are UK equities and emerging markets (which will benefit from China’s reopening and the relative weakening of the dollar).

As I’m already well exposed to emerging markets, I’m focusing on the UK this year. The Artemis UK Select Fund backs FTSE companies of all sizes and has the flexibility to take the occasional ‘short’ position — i.e. to bet against a particular stock.

BEN YEARSLEY, managing director, Shore Financial planning. FUND PICK: First Sentier responsible Listed infrastructure. TWO-YEAR RETURN: £11,500 (Fund established in 2021).

I ALWAYS look to the long-term — I don’t like to chop and change my portfolio.

Infrastructure funds, which invest in things like power generation, roads and transport, have been a staple of my Isa for 15 years now.

These funds provide resilience in difficult times and are often partly inflation-linked (meaning that investors receive higher payments to compensate for inflation).

This year I’ve picked First Sentier Responsible Listed Infrastructure.

Infrastructure might not be the most exciting topic, but it can provide a good option for both novice and sophisticated investors.

TOM STEVENSON, investment director (personal investing), Fidelity. FUND PICK: dodge & cox worldwide Global Stock Fund. FIVE-YEAR RETURN: £14,900.

ONCE the fog lifts on monetary policy, I would expect last year’s market correction to reverse. A global equity fund is a sensible way to play this.

My choice is the Dodge & Cox Worldwide Global Stock Fund. It is a contrarian, value-focused fund which looks for shares that are out of favour in the short term but which have longer-term growth potential.

The companies it invests in tend to be medium-sized or large and well-established. More importantly, they are often cheaper than their peers with a higher-than-average dividend yield, too.