MAB Quarterly Review Q1 2026 - Cautious - Flipbook - Page 16
Total return in pounds sterling over period 01/01/2025 to 31/12/2025. The information provided is
for illustrative purposes only and does not represent the past performance of any particular investment.
It is not possible to invest directly into an index.
Yahoo Finance, Financial Express Analytics and YOU Asset Management.
The most signi昀椀cant month in the US equity market
was April, which was when the US trade tariffs were
announced and rolled out. Of the ten best days over
2025, half were during April. That represents 25% of
the trading days over the month. So, any investor
trying to time the market to avoid the worst days
would have been hard-pressed not to miss some of
these crucial positive days, which underpin a lot of
the overall return for the year.
It is better to stay invested throughout and capture
all of the best days rather than trying to avoid the
worst. Take this sequence of days for example:
• Friday, 4th April – the worst day in 2025
• Monday, 7th April – the second-best day in 2025
• Tuesday, 8th April – the second-worst day in 2025
• Wednesday, 9th April – the best day in 2025
(and third best since the start of 2000)
15
Resisting the temptation
We understand that in times of uncertainty, it can
be dif昀椀cult to remain calm if you see a decrease
in the value of your investment, especially when
the geopolitical backdrop is as intense as we are
currently experiencing. It is important to remember
that during these times, your 昀椀nancial planner is
here for you, to reassure, and to provide leadership
to keep you to your long-term planning and achieve
your goals.
Last year was a prime example of the importance
of staying invested and not listening to the media
headlines, which are typically negative and designed
to elicit an emotional response from us. We have
seen the importance of not missing the best
days during the last year and being comfortable
capturing both the worst and the best days in order
to deliver strong investment returns.
