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

Fixed Income

An investment that provides a fixed rate of return, often over a specific set of time.
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Running yield

The annual interest payment (dividend) divided by the current market price of a bond.
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Gilt

What is a gilt?
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Securities

Bonds and stocks.
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Oligopoly

A situation in which a market or industry is controlled by a small group of companies.
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Total Return

This is the measurement of a fund’s performance in a specific period.
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Dividends

Find out what dividends are and how they can contribute to the growth of your investment portfolio.
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OEIC

Unique to the UK, these funds pool together money to invest from multiple investors.
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Packaged Retail and Insurance-based Investment Product (PRIIP)

An investment where, regardless of its legal form, the amount repayable to the retail investor is subject to fluctuations.
Read more

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