Investment writer Ben McPoland has revealed his ten preferred stocks heading into 2026, with Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust ranked as his largest holding.
He's been managing his own ISA and SIPP portfolios for over a decade, with a focus on high-quality companies that benefit from powerful growth trends.
The FTSE 100-listed investment trust is now his biggest position across both his stocks and shares Isa,and his Self‑Invested Personal Pension (SIPP).
Across the two accounts, he holds 37 different investments.
His top ten holdings account for around 60 per cent of the overall value of his portfolio.
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Mr McPoland said the concentration reflects a long-term approach, with around two decades remaining before his planned retirement.
His top 10 ISA and SIPP stocks in 2026
1. Scottish Mortgage
Scottish Mortgage is the only investment trust included in his top ten.
The trust offers exposure to global growth themes including artificial intelligence, space exploration and digital payments.
It also provides access to private companies that are not available to retail investors through public markets.
Among its unlisted holdings are SpaceX, Stripe, Databricks and ByteDance.
Ben McPoland has revealed his ten preferred stocks heading into 2026
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The portfolio also includes smaller private businesses that could develop into major public companies.
Mr McPoland expects some of the trust’s private holdings, including SpaceX, to list on public markets at high valuations in the future.
2. MercadoLibre
The company operates across e-commerce, logistics and financial technology in Latin America.
MercadoLibre has delivered revenue growth of more than 30 per cent for 27 consecutive quarters.
The business serves a population of close to 700 million people across the region.
Online shopping and digital payments remain less developed in Latin America compared with more mature markets.
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Rolls-Royce has been touted as a stock to add to the portfolio in 2026
| ROLLS-ROYCE3. Axon Enterprise
The company provides Tasers, body cameras, cloud software and artificial intelligence tools to law enforcement agencies.
Its business model includes a growing level of recurring revenue.
4. Games Workshop
The Warhammer manufacturer entered the FTSE 100 after its share price doubled over a two-year period.
5. Uber
The company now serves 189 million monthly active users worldwide.
Uber has shifted from losses to profitability as it expanded its logistics and delivery operations.
6. Shopify
The company strengthened its finances after selling its logistics arm.
7. Intuitive Surgical
The medical technology firm specialises in robotic-assisted surgery.
It has more than 10,700 da Vinci surgical systems installed globally.
These systems generate recurring revenue through ongoing usage and servicing.
8. Visa
Visa features among the top ten due to continued growth in digital payments.
The company benefits from the global move away from cash.
Mr McPoland said he has limited the size of his Visa holding due to regulatory considerations.
9. Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce is also included after a strong performance during 2025.
The engineering group’s shares nearly doubled during the year.
10. Wise
A recent addition to his portfolio, the cross-border payments firm was purchased earlier this year.
Mr McPoland said Wise has potential to expand its services to financial institutions and business customers.
The ten holdings are ranked by position size within the portfolio.
Together they form the core of his investment strategy heading into 2026.
Mr McPoland said he plans to continue diversifying over the coming year.
The company strengthened its finances after selling its logistics arm, Mr McPoland said
|GETTY
He said smaller holdings may be increased while monitoring new opportunities.
The writer said his focus remains on long-term growth rather than short-term market movements.
He said portfolio changes will be guided by business performance and valuation rather than market sentiment.
Mr McPoland said the next year will also be used to build positions gradually rather than making large shifts at once.
He said the strategy reflects a long investment horizon and a preference for global growth exposure.
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