2021 performance by asset class

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• Sustained recovery in risk assets
• Real assets to the fore
• Inflation focus drives UK equity income strength

 
Sustained recovery in risk assets
2021 saw a sustained recovery in risk assets, with the exception of Emerging Markets.  Listed Private Equity was the top performing exposure returning +43.08% in GBP terms.
Regionally, US equities remained the strongest performing market +30.06%.

Real assets to the fore
Real asset exposures, such as Water, Commodities and Timber continued to rally in face of rising inflation risk, returning +32.81%, +28.22% and +17.66% respectively.
Our Liquid Real Assets Index (ticker ELSLRA Index) – which combines higher risk real assets and lower risk rate-sensitive assets to deliver volatility similar to bonds – returned +7.98%, whilst UK Gilts declined -5.16%.

UK equity income strength
Within UK equity market segments, UK Equity Income outperformed all other segments as inflation fears made income-generative, value-oriented shares relatively more attractive.  UK Equity Income, represented by our Freedom Smart Beta UK Dividend Index (ticker ELSUKI Index), returned +20.77%, whilst UK Large Cap returned +19.68% and UK Core returned +18.44%.  UK Small Cap was the weakest UK segment, returning +14.70% for the year.

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