Investors continued to demonstrate strong interest in the UK for a second consecutive month, as seven of the top twenty fund purchases logged by Barclays Stockbrokers fell into the UK-focused category.

According to the firm's latest analysis, the AXA Framlington Biotech fund was investors' top choice last month, having reached second spot in September and only appearing in the top 20 for the first time in July. AXA Framlington replaced the Newton Global Higher Income fund, which overtook the Aberdeen Emerging Markets fund in September. 

Meanwhile, global emerging markets funds also climbed back up the rankings last month, with the Aberdeen Emerging Markets and First State Global Emerging Markets Leaders ending up in second and third place respectively.

Overall, October saw a "significant increase" in fund investments compared to the previous year, as represented by a 202 per cent hike in the value of investments. Last month also saw an 86 per cent year-on-year increase in fund deals.

At the beginning of November, the firm logged a 15 per cent spike in fund investments in the third quarter compared with Q2, and 33 per cent compared to this time last year. "Investors are certainly scouring the markets for further opportunities to make returns on their investments – and adjusting their fund investments accordingly," Alastair Thaw, head of investor product at Barclays Stockbrokers, said at the time.

The picture was similar in September, which saw a "marked shift" in fund investment trends, as the firm logged a 78 per cent rise in fund investments compared to 2011 and investors increasingly turned to the UK and specialist sectors.