Welcome to episode 5 of The Art of Investing, entitled "Live Portfolio Launch" - the moment when real-life investment decisions meet real-life consequences. Join Rich McDonald, Chris Fellingham, and Mark Holden as they launch their live model portfolio, unveiling the asset allocation for a targeted 10% annual return. This episode kicks off with a market update, including the recent 4% fall and quick recovery of US equity markets, impacts from new tariffs on countries like India and Switzerland, and notable corporate earnings from Amazon, Apple, and more.

This week’s discussion also covers the US non-farm payroll data, shifts in interest rate expectations, and a deep dive into portfolio construction. The team debates the ideal equity allocation, discusses inflation and AI productivity impacts, and considers risks like rising bond yields and seasonality effects in August and September. The portfolio emphasizes a 75% equities and 25% other assets split for long-term investors aged 30-40, with adjustments for risk appetite and market timing.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• How recent market volatility and tariff changes are impacting global equities and commodities.
• The rationale behind the live portfolio’s 60% equity allocation and its geographic diversification, including US, UK, Japan, Germany, and India.
• The role of inflation, AI productivity gains, and US political risks in shaping investment strategy.
• The importance of balancing equities with real assets like gold, copper, and blockchain ETFs for portfolio stability.
• Why holding 20% in short-term gilts provides dry powder for opportunistic buying.

Next week:

More insights and portfolio updates following the launch, plus a continued exploration of how market themes evolve.

Download the Portfolio ETF's list here

The Portfolio:

Equities

• S&P 500 Hedged (GBP) – 10%
• German DAX – 10%
• Japanese Nikkei – 10%
• Nasdaq 100 – 10%
• FTSE 100 – 10%
• India Sensex – 5%
• BlackRock Mining – 5%

Commodities

• Gold Physical – 10%
• WisdomTree Copper – 5%

Fixed Income

• UK Gilts 0–5 Year – 20%

Cryptocurrency

• VanEck Bitcoin – 5%

Get in touch with the show:

[email protected]

Disclaimer

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.