The top four most bought FTSE 100 stocks on interactive investor in August remained the same as July. However, the top three traded places to finish in the amended order of Lloyds Banking, Glencore and Vodafone.

The pressure on mining stocks during August may have explained why Rio Tinto was propelled back into the top ten for the first time in many months, with investors perhaps seeing recovery potential in a very well-diversified miner whose share price has lost 20% over the last three months alone.

Elsewhere, Legal & General regained its place following interim numbers in early August, where pre-tax profits dipped 19% due in part to market volatility, but where the interim dividend was increased by 7%.

 Richard Hunter, Head of Markets at interactive investor, the UK’s leading flat fee investment platform, says: 

“The FTSE 100 index had a torrid month in August, losing 4.1% and largely contributing to a year-to-date fall which, at the time of writing, stands down 4.8%. Whilst the expected lower summer trading volumes may have exacerbated the drop, there were nonetheless a confluence of factors keeping investors on edge. 

Growing concerns that the escalating trade tensions between the US and China could threaten to derail a reasonably synchronised global economic recover were possibly underlined by some weaker than expected Chinese data. Plus, the fallout in the economies of Turkey and Argentina did little to soothe sentiment. 

Except for Barclays, it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that there is a strategy amongst ii customers which is becoming more entrenched, namely to be buying blue chip companies on the dips in the hope of future capital growth, while being paid to wait in the form of heightened dividend income. Apart from Barclays, the average yield of the other nine most bought stocks is 6.1%, while the average of the FTSE100 currently stands a touch over 4%. 

This would appear to be a sage strategy given the current uncertainties of the investment backdrop.” 

Most bought FTSE 100 stocks by interactive investor’s customers in August 2018 

Rank	Company	Previous rank*	Dividend yield (%)
1	Lloyds Banking	3	5.2
2	Glencore	1	5
3	Vodafone	2	8.1
4	BP	4	5.4
5	Barclays	6	2.5
6	Aviva	7	5.8
7	Rio Tinto	new entry	6.3
8	BT Group	5	7
9	Royal Dutch Shell	8	5.6
10	Legal & General	New entry	6.1

 *July 2018

Source: interactive investor, 7 September.