Shares magazine’s virtual portfolio returns 23% in seven months

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Please note that tax, investment, pension and ISA rules can change and the information and any views contained in this article may now be inaccurate.

Although it has been a challenging year for investors, particularly those with UK tracker funds, clever stock picking could have yielded positive returns.

Shares magazine’s 2023 virtual stock portfolio has delivered a 23.3% return* (not inclusive of platform and trading fees) since inception in late December 2022 versus 0.5% from the FTSE All-Share index.

The diversified portfolio of carefully selected stocks has beaten the market by quite a distance.

While there is no guarantee it will continue to do so, investors might be interested to learn why each stock was selected and what’s happened to them since.

Names in the portfolio include iPhone seller Apple, photobooth operator ME International and Mr Kipling cakes maker Premier Foods.

How can I read Shares magazine?

The performance of Shares’ virtual portfolio is a good reason to read the digital magazine each week.

All AJ Bell customers with an ISA, SIPP or dealing account can read Shares for free on our website or by hitting ‘More’ on the AJ Bell app menu and scrolling down to the section marked ‘Shares Magazine’.

Alternatively, you can update your communication preferences to receive an email each week containing a link to the latest magazine.

Why should I read Shares magazine?

Shares magazine is full of useful articles that cover a range of topics to suit all kinds of investors.

Whether you are trying to understand what is going on in the markets, looking for information on managing your investments or trying to get your head round pension or tax rules – Shares magazine has a wealth of articles covering these topics.

Each edition contains various investment ideas, giving you inspiration to do further research and helping you to narrow down the pool of opportunities.

The magazine covers stocks, funds, investment trusts, exchange traded funds, bonds, commodities and more. The team regularly interviews chief executives, fund managers and investment experts, and they have their finger on the pulse of what is moving markets.

*Share price return (not inclusive of platform and trading fees). Performance data starts on 20 December 2022 and runs to 18 July 2023. Source: Shares magazine, Google Finance.

This article is provided by Shares magazine which is published by AJ Bell Media, a part of AJ Bell. Shares is not written by AJ Bell.

Shares is provided for your general information and use and is not a personal recommendation to invest. It is not intended to be relied upon by you in making or not making any investment decisions. The investments referred to in these articles will not be suitable for all investors. If in doubt please seek appropriate independent financial advice.

Investors acting on the information in these articles do so at their own risk and AJ Bell Media and its staff do not accept liability for losses suffered by investors as a result of their investment decisions.

Forecasts aren't a reliable guide to future performance. Past performance isn't a guide to future performance, and some investments need to be held for the long term.

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ajbell_dan_coatsworth's picture
Written by:
Dan Coatsworth

Dan Coatsworth is an Investment Analyst and Editor in Chief at AJ Bell. He has been with the company since December 2012 and has 19 years' experience in the industry, commenting on the markets and all things investing. He has a degree in Corporate Communications from Southampton Solent University.

Dan is heavily involved in the content published by AJ Bell, which includes providing market commentary, starring in our educational videos, writing for Shares Magazine and co-presenting our Money and Markets podcast, as well as hosting and presenting at events for customers – both in person and online.

Dan’s passion lies with educating customers all about investing and staying informed about market events. He previously worked for Teletext on the business and personal finance desks which taught him the importance of telling a story in as few words as possible. He has also contributed to Times Radio, LBC News, The Telegraph, Evening Standard, Mail on Sunday and The Week.

A fun fact Dan learned about investing early on was to not get caught up on the hype around certain stocks. He found this out himself when the first share he bought was a company trying to recover copper from a shipwreck at the bottom of the ocean… this sounded exciting but sadly didn’t make him any money! Outside of work, Dan enjoys swimming and live music.