Investing
ISA investors go global in search for winning stock picks
The number of ISA investors trading on international stock markets has tripled in one year, according to research from TD Direct Investing.
Less than 12 per cent of ISA account holders were making international trades from 2011 to 2012. The following year, that percentage increased to 41 per cent – equivalent to ISA investors making international trades three times more often than they were a year ago.
Stuart Welch, CEO of TD Direct Investing, said: “We live in an increasingly globalised world, which is clearly reflected in our data and the investment choices that our ISA customers are making.
“International tech stocks such as Apple, Twitter and Facebook tend to dominate international top trade lists, with Irish banks such as Allied and the Bank of Ireland also becoming popular in recent months.”
North America is by far the most popular region among TD clients, encompassing 81 per cent of international trades.
Along with Europe it appeals to older investors, the majority of whom are between the ages of 30 and 39.
Investors in the Asia Pacific region, where 63 per cent of trades are made in Australian-listed companies, are the youngest in the world. Nearly four in ten are between 21 and 29 years old.
Canada is the second most popular country with investors, claiming 14.9 per cent of trades, while Australia, Germany and France round out the top five.
Most popular international stocks
Feb-14 | Market | Trades |
Apple Inc | NASDAQ | 16.0 per cent |
Tesla Motors Inc | NASDAQ | 12.3 per cent |
Bank of Ireland | Irish Stock Exchange | 11.3 per cent |
3D Systems Corporation | NYSE | 10.5 per cent |
Facebook Inc | NASDAQ | 9.7 per cent |
Amazon.com Inc | NASDAQ | 9.7 per cent |
Twitter Inc | NYSE | 9.0 per cent |
Google Inc | NASDAQ | 8.4 per cent |
Allied Irish Banks | Irish Stock Exchange | 7.7 per cent |
Citigroup Inc | NYSE | 5.4 per cent |
*These figures are calculated as a percentage of the top ten trades only
Source: TD Direct Investing