
Full Answer
How much of the stock market does institutional investors own?
Institutions own about 78% of the market value of the U.S. broad-market Russell 3000 index, and 80% of the large-cap S&P 500 index. In dollars, that is about $21.7 trillion and $18 trillion, respectively.
How much of the US population is invested in stock markets?
Stock ownership before 2008 was 62 percent, but only 55 percent of Americans are invested now. [Source: Gallup] Of Americans with money in the market, half have less than $40,000 invested.
Why are so many people investing in the stock market?
Overall, a lot of new retail investors have decided that they want to put their money in the stock market in an effort to grow their savings and prepare for the future. Only time will tell if those new investors will remain in the market or if they will decide to get out.
What are small-cap stocks and why do they matter?
The number of small-cap stocks can also grow when the market caps of larger stocks decline. Companies with market caps between $2 billion and $10 billion are known as mid-cap stocks. When the market caps of these companies fall below $2 billion, they slip into the small-cap category.

What percentage do stock investors get?
Most investors take a percentage of ownership in your company in exchange for providing capital. Angel investors typically want from 20 to 25 percent return on the money they invest in your company.
How many stocks should a small investor have?
Some experts say that somewhere between 20 and 30 stocks is the sweet spot for manageability and diversification for most portfolios of individual stocks. But if you look beyond that, other research has pegged the magic number at 60 stocks.
How much does the average person have in the stock market?
The amount of assets families hold in stocks also varies considerably by income. Among those with incomes less than $35,000, the median amount held is less than $10,000. For those at the higher end of the income scale, the median amount is more than $130,000.
What percentage of stocks does the 1% own?
52% of U.S. adults owned stock in 2016. Ownership peaked at 65% in 2007 and fell significantly due to the Great Recession. As of 2013, the top 1% of households owned 38% of stock market wealth....Stock owned by richest 10%.201684%201381%200171%
Is 35 stocks too much?
Private investors with limited time may not want to have this many, but 25-35 stocks is a popular level for many successful investors (for example, Terry Smith) who run what are generally regarded as relatively high concentration portfolios.
How many stocks should I own with 20k?
The answer depends on the amount of money you are investing and your investment strategy. According to Investor's Business Daily, if you have less than $3,000, 2 stocks should do it. If your portfolio is less than $20,000 hold no more than 3 stocks.
What is a good net worth by age?
The average net worth for U.S. families is $748,800. The median — a more representative measure — is $121,700....Average net worth by age.Age of head of familyMedian net worthAverage net worth35-44$91,300$436,20045-54$168,600$833,20055-64$212,500$1,175,90065-74$266,400$1,217,7002 more rows
How much does the average person have invested?
The typical American household has an average of $8,863 in an account at a bank or credit union, according to a recent report from Bankrate that analyzed inflation-adjusted data from the Federal Reserve. That's purely in liquid savings, so it doesn't include retirement funds or other investments.
How many stocks does the average investor own?
The average diversified portfolio holds between 20 and 30 stocks. Diversifying your portfolio in the stock market is an investing best practice because it decreases non-systemic, or company-specific, risk by ensuring that no single company has too much influence over the value of your holdings.
What percentage of millionaires invest in stocks?
30%80-85% of millionaires are first-generation rich, which is motivating for anyone wanting to reach this elite status. More than 30% of their wealth is invested in publicly traded stocks.
How many millionaires has the stock market created?
The roaring stock market and crypto gains created more than a million new millionaires in the U.S. last year, according to a new report. The number of Americans with $1 million or more in investible assets surged to a record 14.6 million in 2021, according to a report from wealth research firm the Spectrem Group.
What is considered wealthy in America?
The average net worth Americans considered “wealthy” this year was $2.2 million, up from $1.9 million in 2021, according to a survey by Charles Schwab. Across generations, most respondents say they are looking to make changes in the next 12 months to have a more positive impact on the world, including how they invest.
Why are retail investors important?
Retail investors play an important role in the market. They tend to buy and hold their stocks for a longer period of time than non-index institutional investors. In a world of high frequency trading, many retail investors are socking away stocks to fund their children’s college education and their own retirement.
How much did Apple stock split?
Apple , whose shares are nearly 40% owned by individual investors, did a 7-to-1 stock split last spring, cutting its per share stock price from $645 to $92 overnight. CEO Tim Cook said he wanted to make shares “more accessible to a larger number of investors.”.
What is the lowest stock ownership rate in 2019?
People 75 or older had the lowest ownership rate in 2019, at 47%, followed by those under 35, at 48%. The value of stock owned, however, is much higher for older Americans, who have had more time to accumulate their investments.
What age group has the highest stock ownership?
Families with a head of household aged 45 to 54 had the highest rate of stock ownership in 2019, with 58% of families in the stock market in some form. That said, the difference in ownership rates between age groups is not large.
Do wealthy people have more money in stock?
Wealthier Americans also tend to have more money in stock. Families in the top 10% of income earners accounted for 70% of the dollar value of all stock holdings in 2019, with a median of $432,000 worth of stock per invested household. Meanwhile, the bottom 60% of income earners owned only 7% of all stock that year.
Can you buy stock on your own?
People who buy stock on their own become direct owners. But people can invest in other ways, including actively managed mutual funds or passive versions like index funds, as well as through retirement plans that put their money in the stock market. Those avenues result in indirect ownership.
Do people with higher incomes own stock?
Investing requires money, so it follows that families with higher incomes and net worth own stock more often and purchase more of it. But there are also differences in how they own the stock, with wealthier families much more likely to have directly purchased stock as part of their portfolio compared to those with lower incomes.
Why aren't Americans investing in the stock market?
This could be a result of not enough capital or, for many Americans, simply a lack of knowledge.
How many stock exchanges are there in the world?
There are 60 major stock exchanges in the world. [Source: The Money Project] Sixteen stock exchanges each have a market capitalization of over $1 trillion, accounting for 87 percent of the global market capitalization. [Source: The Money Project]
What is the market capitalization of the top 100 companies?
The global top 100 companies have a market capitalization of $20.04 billion – a 15 percent increase year over year. [Source: PwC] Before the financial crisis, the most valuable companies on the stock market were ExxonMobil, General Electric, Microsoft and AT&T.
How many recessions have there been in the past 100 years?
There have been 18 economic recessions in the past 100 years — averaging one every five and a half years, roughly aligning to the business cycle of four years. [Source: Liberated Stock Trader]
How long was the bull market in 2018?
August 22, 2018 marked the longest bull market in history at 3,453 days (roughly a 10-year run) [Source: Quartz] Prior to 2018, the record for the longest bull market was during the dot-com boom and subsequent bust clocking in at 3,452 days.
Do Americans understand the stock market?
If recent reports are any indication, understanding the stock market is not many Americans’ strong suits. According to our investment literacy survey, nearly half of Americans don’t even understand the basic financial markets, which is crucial to understanding the market as a whole.
How many small cap stocks are there in the Russell 2000?
The Russell 2000 Index is the most widely known small-cap stock market index. So are there 2,000 small-cap stocks? Not necessarily. The Russell 2000 includes the 2,000 smallest stocks in the broader Russell 3000 Index, but its holdings actually don't have to be small-cap stocks.
What is an IPO?
An initial public offering ( IPO) is the process used by private companies to go public and sell their shares to outside investors. In many cases the market caps of these companies at their IPO qualifies them as small-cap stocks.
How to make money when stocks are running high?
However, when stocks are running high, remember that the future is likely to be less good than the past. It seems investors have to relearn this lesson during every bull market cycle. 2. Become more optimistic when things look bad.
What is the S&P 500 index?
https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/investing/inflationThe S&P 500 index comprises about 500 of America's largest publicly traded companies and is considered the benchmark measure for annual returns. When investors say “the market,” they mean the S&P 500.
What is the benchmark for annual returns?
The S&P 500 is often considered the benchmark measure for annual stock market returns. Though 10% is the average stock market return, returns in any year are far from average. Here’s what new investors starting today should know about stock market returns.
Can you earn less if you trade in and out of the market?
If you trade in and out of the market frequently, you can expect to earn less, sometimes much less . Commissions and taxes eat up your returns, while poorly timed trades erode your bankroll. Study after study shows that it’s almost impossible for even the professionals to beat the market.

Global Market by The Numbers
Us Stock Market Data
- Unsurprisingly, the US stock market is the largest and most expensive in the world. Despite this, the US economy isn’t the most productive. China has surpassed the US as the most productive economy in the world with a $23 trillion GDP compared to the $19 trillion US GDP. Here are some important statistics regarding the US stock market. 1. The U.S. stock market makes up the large…
Statistics by Industry
- The stock market today is dominated by tech giants like Apple and Amazon, but it hasn’t always been that way. According to the Washington Post, the big five tech companies have risen above big energy for the first time. The stock market is notorious for its cyclical pattern of bubbles followed by crashes like the dot-com bubble and the US housing bubble, but here are the current …
Historical Overview
- There have been 18 economic recessions in the past 100 years — averaging one every five and a half years, roughly aligning to the business cycle of four years. [Source: Liberated Stock Trader]
- Only two recessions have occurred in the past twenty years — 2000 to 2002 and 2008 to 2009 — making the more recent average 1 every 10 years. [Source: Liberated Stock Trader]
- There have been 18 economic recessions in the past 100 years — averaging one every five and a half years, roughly aligning to the business cycle of four years. [Source: Liberated Stock Trader]
- Only two recessions have occurred in the past twenty years — 2000 to 2002 and 2008 to 2009 — making the more recent average 1 every 10 years. [Source: Liberated Stock Trader]
- Worst stock market years by percent loss[Source: Liberated Stock Trader]
- Best stock market years by percent jump[Source: Liberated Stock Trader]
Investor Statistics
- Despite clear economic advantages over traditional savings accounts, many Americans aren’t investing in the stock market. This could be a result of not enough capital or, for many Americans, simply a lack of knowledge. If recent reports are any indication, understanding the stock market is not many Americans’ strong suits. According to our investment literacy survey, nearly half of Am…