This week on The Art of Investing, Rich McDonald, Mark “Spice” Holden and Chris “CJ” Fellingham break down a more fragile market backdrop as momentum stalls and volatility creeps back in.

With commodities cooling, equities diverging and bond markets wobbling, the team ask whether this is a healthy pause… or the start of something more meaningful.

They’re also joined by Geopolitical Strategist Roger Lee to unpack how investors should think during periods of crisis, and what history tells us about how markets behave when conflicts unfold.

The focus this week: what’s really driving returns now, and how investors should respond when leadership becomes less clear.

This Week’s Highlights:

📉 Momentum Slows

After weeks of strong gains, markets begin to lose steam as leadership narrows.

⛏️ Commodities Pause

Mining stocks pull back sharply after a huge run, testing conviction in the trade.

🪙 Crypto Bounces

Crypto-linked equities recover, highlighting ongoing volatility in risk assets.

🌍 Global Divergence

Different regions move in opposite directions, making allocation more important than ever.

🏦 Bonds Back in Focus

Weakness in fixed income raises questions about diversification again.

🧠 Staying Disciplined

Why periods like this matter more than strong up weeks for long-term investors.

Portfolio Snapshot - Week 31:

Weekly performance: –0.3%

Total return since inception: +14.2%

Top Performers

🥇 VanEck Crypto & Blockchain Innovators ETF: +3.5%

🥈 iShares Nikkei 225 ETF: +0.2%

🥉 iShares Core FTSE 100 ETF: +0.2%

Underperformers

📉 BlackRock World Mining Trust: –5.9%

📉 Vanguard FTSE 250 ETF: –1.4%

📉 iShares Russell 2000 ETF: –1.2%

Portfolio Positioning:

The portfolio remains broadly diversified across:

• Commodities and real assets

• Global equities (US, UK, Europe, EM)

• Select small-cap exposure

• Bonds and cash as stabilisers

Despite a weaker week, diversification continues to dampen volatility as leadership rotates.

Big Questions This Week:

• Is this just a pause after a strong run?

• Are commodities topping out short term?

• What happens if bonds and equities both struggle?

• Where is the next leadership coming from?

What You’ll Learn:

✔️ Why pullbacks are a key part of long-term returns

✔️ How to interpret changing market leadership

✔️ Why diversification matters most in mixed markets

✔️ How to stay disciplined when momentum fades

📈 Download the full Portfolio Performance Slides

View the portfolio breakdown: here

📧 Get in touch: theartofinvesting@ig.com

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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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