Net asset value

Mutual funds and investment trusts are priced on their net asset value (NAV).

Mutual funds and investment trusts are priced on their net asset value (NAV).

Equation showing how to calculate NAV per share
  • Total assets include the market value of all the securities in the portfolio, cash, and accrued income
  • Total liabilities include expenses, management fees, and other obligations
  • Outstanding shares is the number of units (for mutual funds) or shares (for investment trusts) investors currently hold

NAV looks at the closing prices of the underlying securities each day. 

NAV is not always the same thing as price, though. It is used to determine the value of the mutual fund or investment trust, but the trade price could be different because the units may trade at a premium (higher than the NAV) or a discount (lower than the NAV).

It’s important to remember that while NAV is used as a tool to determine price, it doesn't directly indicate the fund’s performance. Total return, which includes capital gains, dividends, interest, and realised distributions, , is a better performance metric.

More terms

Retail Prices Index (RPI)

An index published each month by the Office for National Statistics, which measures the level of retail prices in the UK. Cash flows on all index-linked gilts are linked to the RPI.
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Profit and Loss Statement (P&L)

A statement that summarises firm's expenses, costs, and revenues incurred during a time period. AKA income statement.
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Technical Analysis

Examining price movements of shares and other assets, and trying to predict how they will move in the future.
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Arithmetic Mean

The sum of a set of numbers added together and then divided by the total amount of numbers in that set.
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American Depository Receipts (ADRs)

Tradeable assets that let Americans invest in overseas stocks using US laws and dollars.
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Xetra

A trading venue operated by the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.
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Unicorn

A startup valued at over £1 billion. They are rare, hence the name.
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index-linked gilts

Gilts where the dividends and principal repayments are related to movements in the Retail Prices Index (RPI). This is as opposed to a conventional gilt, where the dividends and principal repayments are fixed in nominal terms.
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Volatility

A measure of how much the prices of an asset or index vary over time.
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