Fidelity Investments’ Director of Global Macro, Jurrien Timmer, has released an updated "Periodic Table of Investment Returns," offering a clear visual of the shifting financial landscape through mid-2026. The data reveals a stark contrast in performance across the board, as certain global equities achieved high-flying gains while traditional safe havens and alternative assets experienced a notable cooling-off period.
The Leaders of the 2026 Market
The performance leaderboard through June 2026 shows a decisive victory for specific equity sectors that successfully navigated the changing economic environment. The asset classes claiming the top spots include: Emerging markets Small-cap equities Japanese markets These sectors dominated the upper echelons of the matrix, signaling a robust period for risk-on international investments and smaller-scale companies.
An Unusual Convergence at the Bottom
In a surprising shift, the lower sections of the periodic table were occupied by assets that typically move on very different market dynamics. The primary underperformers at the foot of the 2026 column include: Bitcoin Spot gold Long-term treasuries The table highlights an unusual market phenomenon where Bitcoin, an aggressive digital risk asset, and gold, a conservative physical store of value, both languished in the worst-performing tier alongside long-term bonds. This clustering of orange "Bitcoin" tiles and green "Treasury" tiles illustrates a significant period of underperformance compared to almost every other liquid asset class on the grid.
