![\"Tech](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/advisory.jpg\"\/)
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Darius McDermott at Chelsea Financial Services and FundCalibre shares his insights on the case for tech-driven emerging market and US equities, as well as for investment trusts and gold.\t \t \t \t \t \t \t <\/p>\n
\n The US-Iran clash and closure\u00a0of the Strait of Hormuz has
\n roiled energy sectors, but markets have been more resilient than
\n analysts predicted, a prominent UK financial advisor figure says.
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\n Darius McDermott, managing director at Chelsea
\n Financial Services<\/a> and FundCalibre<\/a>, said in an
\n interview\u00a0that technology hardware has been a strong sector,
\n driving a surge in Asian and US markets this year,\u00a0although
\n there was a setback in July.
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\n A top holding for McDermot in his VT Managed Chelsea Funds is the
\n London-listed Polar Capital Technology Trust, which has heavy
\n AI\u00a0exposure. The trust invests in global technology,
\n including in emerging markets and Asia, Europe and the US.
\n Examples of holdings include Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing
\n Company (TSMC) and US tech giants Nvidia, Alphabet and Apple.
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\n McDermot is managing director of the VT Managed Chelsea funds
\n which cover a range of risks, depending on the type of investor.
\n They include the VT Chelsea Managed Cautious Growth fund, the VT
\n Chelsea Managed Balanced Growth fund and VT Chelsea Managed
\n Aggressive Growth fund.
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\n Like
\n a number of investment managers<\/a>, McDermott\u00a0has raised
\n his exposure to emerging markets and Asia over the past 12
\n months. He thinks they have further to run. Seventy per cent of
\n emerging markets are in Asia. McDermott has also kept a
\n heavy\u00a0exposure to US equities in his funds (nearly 40 per
\n cent) and kept a gold position, which he sees as a safe haven in
\n volatile times. Emerging market central banks continue to build
\n gold reserves.
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\n The investment industry figure said he has bolstered his exposure
\n recently to his energy exchange-traded funds\u00a0to hedge
\n inflation risk and higher oil prices. McDermott”s renewable
\n energy positions have also been performing better this
\n year,\u00a0McDermott said. He also maintains a preference for
\n investment trusts. (See more
\n here<\/a>\u00a0about investment trusts.)
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\n VT Chelsea Managed Cautious Growth fund
\n The fund aims to produce growth over the long term, but with
\n lower volatility than equity markets. While returns may not be as
\n high as in the aggressive fund, investors will take\u00a0less
\n risk. The fund invests in UK and overseas equities, although it
\n will also invest in other assets including bonds, alternative
\n investment trusts, gold and targeted absolute return strategies.
\n Exposure to assets is typically via open-ended funds, investment
\n trusts and exchange traded funds.
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\n The fund has outperformed the IA Mixed Investment Shares
\n Sector\u00a0over the past five years, with some of the equity
\n funds such as\u00a0Jupiter Asian Income performing well recently.
\n Top holdings include Invesco Physical Markets, Artemis Short
\n Duration Strategic Bond, iShares MSCI World Energy Sector, Polar
\n Capital Technology Trust, Guinness Global Equity Income and
\n Jupiter UK Special Situations. The fund is heavily exposed to the
\n US (35 per cent), followed by the UK (26 per cent), Europe ex UK
\n (20 per cent) and Asia ex-Japan (11 per cent).
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\n VT Chelsea Managed Balanced Growth fund
\n The fund, which has outperformed the IA Mixed Investment Shares
\n Sector over the past five years, aims to grow money over the long
\n term, striving to build a portfolio with lower volatility than
\n equities. It invests in UK and overseas equities, although it
\n will also invest in other assets including bonds, alternative
\n investment trusts, gold and targeted absolute return strategies.
\n Exposure to assets is typically via open-ended funds, investment
\n trusts and exchange traded funds.
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\n Top holdings include Invesco Physical Markets, Polar Capital
\n Technology Trust,\u00a0iShares MSCI World Energy Sector and
\n Artemis UK Select. The fund is heavily exposed to the US
\n (39\u00a0per cent), followed by the UK (21\u00a0per cent), Europe
\n ex UK (16\u00a0per cent) and Asia ex-Japan (12\u00a0per cent).
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\n VT Chelsea Managed Aggressive Growth fund
\n The fund, which has outperformed the\u00a0IA Mixed Investment
\n Shares Sector over the past five years, aims to grow money over
\n the long term, investing heavily in stock markets around the
\n world, making it\u00a0more volatile than his other funds. The
\n fund invests up to 100 per cent in UK and overseas equities,
\n although it may also invest in other assets including bonds,
\n indirect property, gold and targeted absolute return strategies.
\n Exposure to assets is typically via open-ended funds, investment
\n trusts and exchange traded funds.
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