Quindell and Thomas Cook have both been a focus of investor activity this month. The alleged impropriety at Quindell saw their share price fall by 90 per cent, making headlines throughout the personal finance press. Despite the controversy, investors were speculating and trading against volatility, with Quindell shares topping TD’s UK Top Ten Buy and Sells in November.

Thomas Cook has also had a challenging month as the unexpected departure of CEO Harriet Green caused a 20 per cent fall in the company’s share price. Like the Quindell example, many TD investors seemed to view the tumult as an investment opportunity, leading Thomas Cook to enter the UK Top Ten Buys this month. This boost was driven in large part by trading activity on the day of Green’s departure.

By contrast, and outside TD’s Top Ten Buys and Sells, there was surprisingly little trading activity around an anticipated IPO in November, the flotation of Virgin Money. Investors took a more cautious approach to the offering than had been expected, with low levels of trading at launch time. For Royal Mail Group, the IPO sensation of 2013, November saw the postal service report a fall in profits, but our data tells us that TD traders remain committed to the stock despite poor results and a hyper-competitive UK parcels market.

Our international trading this month highlighted the contrast between the Eurozone and American economies. The European Central Bank continued to hold interest rates at 0.05 per cent as the bank tried to help the still struggling economies, whereas markets reached record levels in the US. This optimism influenced the list of the most bought international stocks, which was dominated by American stock buys with no European companies making the list in November.

In other big news, Neil Woodford revealed his plans to launch a second fund causing excitement in the investment industry. Intended to invest in start-ups and smaller companies, the new fund will have a bias toward biotech and innovation, perhaps demonstrating the continuing popularity of the AIM market.

Top 10 UK TD client buys and sells for November 2014

Top 10 international TD client buys and sells for November 2014