December delivered a strong month for alternative assets, closing out the year with steady returns across precious metals, contemporary art, wine, and collectibles.
While stock markets stayed sensitive to rates, growth, and geopolitics. Alternative, tangible assets continued to add diversification and resilience to portfolios.
Top performers by category:
The list below highlights December's top performers across categories, from silver to blue-chip contemporary art, fine wine and high-end collectibles.
🪙 Precious Metals
Silver bar, 15 kg, 999.0 – Return (Dec): +28.9%
Silver prices continued to rise into year-end. Several silver positions are now moving closer to a potential sale, as silver often attracts buyers during times of uncertainty and tighter supply.
🎨 Art
Tom de Freston, An Echo Chamber Waiting For Music, 2024 – Return (Dec): +20.15%
Acquired at around 48% below market value and revalued gradually. This reflects continued interest in the artist and careful price increases from a low entry-point level.
Gregory de la Haba, Easy Suite & Everything Is Made of Light – Return (Dec): +17.1%
4 paintings (2024) and 2 paintings (2023). A strong gallery year, sold-out shows, and rising primary prices led to a measured increase in the value of this portfolio of original works.
Ryo Kato, Portfolio of 10 Paintings, 2021–2024 – Return (Dec): +15.62%
Another artist with a standout year! Gallery price increases and active exhibitions supported a careful step-up in value.
Henry Hudson, 3 paintings from “At Some Point In Time”, 2024 – Return (Dec): +11.91%
A strong quarter of gallery activity and higher asking prices led to a careful update in valuations, in line with broader market levels.
Jon Merz, 3 paintings (2023) – Return (Dec): +11.52%
Nymphée, Pneuma & Sur la tombe du poisson pousse des fleurs. Continued recognition across exhibitions and dealer pricing supported another cautious increase in value for this group of works.
Britt Boutros-Ghali – Portfolio Part 1 – Return (Dec): +11.13%
Gallery price increases and steady demand supported a measured rise in value, while remaining below more aggressive market pricing.
🧪 Trading Cards
Neo Revelation Unlimited Booster Box – Return (Dec): +15.21%
A private sale at a higher reference price and strong demand for Neo-era sets led to a meaningful value increase for this sealed box.
🍷 Wine
François Feuillet, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru 2019 (66 × 0.75 L) – Return (Dec): +15.06%
Sourced at roughly a 33% discount on release and then increased by 15%, keeping the valuation conservative for a producer still building a track record in fine wine.
🏈 Sport Cards
Jerry Rice 1999 E-X Century Essential Credentials Now 1/24 PSA 9 – Return (Dec): +10.32%
The player index of all-time great Jerry Rice climbed by more than 20% on the back of new auction records. This supported a careful 10.3% increase for this rare, low-population card.
Performance figures refer to December price changes of the respective asset valuations and are shown gross of platform-level investor fees.
What drove December performance?
Precious metals
Silver led the way. Rising prices, combined with economic uncertainty and limited supply, resulted in strong gains for the 15 kg bar and other positions.
The set-up for early 2026 continues to look attractive, and selected silver exits are now on the radar as valuations approach targeted ranges.
Contemporary art
Multiple artists had an exceptional year: Galleries raised prices as exhibitions sold out, which is now reflected in careful but noticeable value increases across the collection.
Because many works were purchased well below today’s gallery prices, they may still offer room for further gains, even after December’s increases.
Wine & collectibles
From Burgundy’s Charmes-Chambertin to Neo-era Pokémon and iconic sport cards, demand for rare, high-quality assets remained strong through year-end.
As more prices become visible through auctions and private sales, valuations can be updated more precisely, while staying deliberately cautious.
Positioning into early 2026
Equity markets moved sideways, and uncertainty remained high. In this environment, exposure to alternative, tangible assets continues to help balance portfolios.
With potential silver exits on the horizon and continued momentum in art and collectibles, the focus remains on disciplined sourcing, careful pricing, and long-term value creation.
