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Image source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
2025 was a decent year for my Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP). For the year, my investment return was over 20%. Here, I\u2019ll reveal how I generated that return. I\u2019ll also discuss my strategy for 2026.<\/p>\n
My growth focus paid off<\/p>\n
Within my SIPP, I own a mix of passive index trackers<\/a>, actively-managed funds, thematic exchange-traded funds<\/a> (ETFs), and individual stocks. My mind is predominantly on growth-focused investments as I have plenty of time until retirement (I\u2019m still in my mid-40s).<\/p>\n This diversified growth focus paid off in 2025. In terms of individual stocks, the star of the show was Google owner Alphabet. This was a large holding in my SIPP at the start of the year and over its course, it rose around 60% \u2013 significantly boosting my overall balance.<\/p>\n Another substantial holding in my portfolio that did well was Nvidia. It jumped about 40%. Zooming in on actively-managed funds, Blue Whale Growth was another standout performer. It returned more than 25% for the year, thanks to its focus on the artificial intelligence (AI) buildout.<\/p>\n As for ETFs, the star here was defence- and cybersecurity-focused HANetf Future of Defence UCITS ETF. This returned about 40% as the defence theme came into sharper focus.<\/p>\n I\u2019ll point out that when stocks pulled back in April, I aggressively invested in a lot of these assets (and others). This really helped my performance. When stocks rebounded in Q2 and Q3, the value of my portfolio surged.<\/p>\n I was able to do this as I always keep a bit of cash on the sidelines in preparation for a market pullback. That way, if attractive opportunities arise, I\u2019m ready to capitalise.<\/p>\n My strategy for 2026<\/p>\n As for my strategy for 2026, I\u2019ll still be focusing on long-term growth. I\u2019m still bullish on themes like technology and AI so I\u2019ll continue to hold onto names like Alphabet and Nvidia.<\/p>\n However lately, I\u2019ve been diversifying my portfolio a little more so it\u2019s a little less tech heavy. For example, I\u2019ve been adding to funds that focus on European and healthcare stocks.<\/p>\n Given the recent strong performance of the market, I\u2019ve also been banking some profits to build up my cash pile. This cash is sitting in a short-term money market fund (earning around 4%), ready to deploy if the market pulls back and better buying opportunities arise.<\/p>\n