The Ultimate List of Investor Relations Marketing Stats 2025

Communicating Your Company's Investment Story

Investor Marketing, also known as Investor Relations Marketing or Investor Communication, is about showcasing your company as an attractive investment opportunity.

It combines marketing and financial communication to craft a compelling story that resonates with institutional and retail investors. By effectively highlighting your company’s growth potential, investment case, and long-term vision, you have a chance to boost trading activity, steady your share price, and build market value while retaining shareholders.

Why Retail Investors Matter More Than Ever

Retail investors have become a driving force in financial markets, thanks to technology and the growing accessibility of investing. Nowadays, engaging this audience isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s a core target audience for companies aiming to diversify their shareholder base and improve liquidity.

Retail investors bring fresh perspectives to the market and can contribute to long-term stability, so tailoring your messaging to connect with them is more important than ever.

Craft a Winning Investor Marketing Strategy

The key to a successful investor marketing campaign is knowing your audience. Data and insights are your best friends here. By tapping into trends and investor behavior, you can identify the most promising individuals who align with your company’s growth story.

For example, brokerage platforms like Robinhood (Robinhood, Newsroom, January 2025) and Charles Schwab (Charles Schwab, Investment Insights, January 2025) regularly share insights on retail trading activity, preferred industries, and even demographic breakdowns of their users. This information can be a goldmine for understanding what drives investors’ decisions and how your company can meet their expectations.

With this data, you can fine-tune your messaging to spotlight the strengths and opportunities that resonate most with potential investors. Whether it’s showcasing leadership in a high-growth industry or underscoring a commitment to sustainability, refining your story based on investor preferences builds confidence and inspires action.

Stay Ahead of the Curve

Investor preferences and market trends are constantly evolving, so staying proactive is critical. Regular outreach that communicates your value proposition can build trust and deepen investor relationships over time.

Statistics Relating to Retail Investor Trends and Behavior

The COVID-19 pandemic spurred a significant rise in retail investing as individuals sought alternative income sources during economic uncertainty. This surge was facilitated by the proliferation of user-friendly trading platforms and reduced transaction costs, making market access more attainable.

Demographics and Profiles of Retail Investors

• A study indicates that 17.6% of women invest in the stock market, compared to 32.3% of men, underscoring a significant gender gap in investment engagement. (SSRN, The Gender Investment Gap: Reasons and Consequences, January 2024).
  

• The share of individuals under 40 transferring funds to investments has more than tripled over the past decade, significantly outpacing the 60% increase among those aged 40 and over. (JPMorgan Chase, The changing demographics of retail investors, 2024).
  

• Younger investors (under 40) now account for approximately 9% of investing activity, compared to 14% for those 40 and older as of 2023 (JPMorgan Chase, The changing demographics of retail investors, 2024).
  

• Investment participation among Black and Hispanic individuals has grown over 3 times the 2010-2015 average by 2023, compared to just over 2 times for White and Asian individuals (JPMorgan Chase, The changing demographics of retail investors, 2024).
  

• Market volatility during the pandemic, particularly in March 2020, saw a sharp rise in savings rates and a corresponding surge in investment activity, driven largely by younger individuals and men (JPMorgan Chase, The changing demographics of retail investors, 2024).
  

• The retail investor demographic is diversifying. Millennials and Generation Z are leading the adoption of investment vehicles like exchange-traded funds (ETFs). A State Street Global Advisors survey revealed that 58% of millennials included ETFs in their portfolios, surpassing Generation X at 47% and baby boomers at 37%. (Financial Times, Millennials are driving US ETF adoption, SSGA survey finds, August 2024).

Investor Knowledge

• DIY investing is becoming increasingly common, with men and younger investors being more likely to manage their own portfolios. Many cite personal enjoyment, a sense of knowledge, or smaller portfolio sizes as motivations for managing investments independently (CSA 2024 Investor Index, Survey Report, April 2024).
  

• DIY account openings have also surged, particularly over the past two years (CSA 2024 Investor Index, Survey Report, April 2024).
  

• Options trading volumes have seen significant growth, reflecting retail investors' increasing interest in advanced financial instruments. Since 2020, the average daily options volume has risen from 29.04 million contracts to 47.6 million in August 2024. Cboe, a pioneer in listed options since 1973, has played a key role in this evolution, with options transitioning from a niche asset class to a global trading staple over the past 50 years. (CBOE, Empowering Retail Investors Creates Powerful Impact, September 5, 2024)

Behavioral Patterns and Influences

• More investors are turning to social media for investment information, particularly younger generations. Over half of investors now use social media to research investments, with platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok being especially popular among younger age groups. Nearly half report encountering investment opportunities through social media, a notable increase over recent years (CSA 2024 Investor Index, Survey Report, April 2024).

• Fewer investors work with financial advisors compared to previous years, especially younger investors and those with smaller portfolios. This decline is not observed among those with portfolios exceeding $100,000, where advisor usage remains consistent (CSA 2024 Investor Index, Survey Report, April 2024).

• Older investors tend to rely solely on traditional sources such as advisors or banks for investment information, while younger investors are more inclined to use online sources. A higher proportion of younger investors use at least one online source compared to older investors, with the trend reversing among older age groups (CSA 2024 Investor Index, Survey Report, April 2024).

• Psychological and behavioral factors influence how individuals approach investing. For instance, people often react to past market performance and short-term volatility, which can lead to patterns like chasing recent returns or buying during market dips. Younger, lower-income, and male investors are more likely to respond strongly to market fluctuations, potentially because they are more optimistic or willing to take on more risk (JPMorgan Chase, Returns-chasing and dip-buying among retail investors, October 1, 2024).
  

• A Bank of America study found that 72% of younger investors (ages 21 - 43) believe it is no longer possible to achieve above-average investment returns by investing solely in traditional stocks and bonds alone, prompting them to explore alternative investments (Bank of America, BofA Private Bank Study of Wealthy Americans Finds Generational Divide in Investing, Giving and Preserving Wealth, June 2024).

• Before the pandemic, changes in the amount of money invested were more driven by a smaller group of regular investors who adjusted their investments based on market performance. This changed during the pandemic when a larger and more diverse group of people began investing, influenced by market trends. This shift reduced the link between the number of people who invested and the total amount invested, as newer investors often had smaller amounts to contribute. Consequently, since the pandemic, investing decisions have become less predictable, driven by more variable behaviors across a wider group of people (JPMorgan Chase, Returns-chasing and dip-buying among retail investors, October 1, 2024).

Investment Preferences and ESG Interest

• Stocks are the leading investment choice among Gen Z investors. Cryptocurrencies also attract significant interest within this group. (Statista, Gen Z and millennial investment preferences in the United States in 2022, by security type, 2022).
  

• While stocks remain popular, cryptocurrencies have become the top-ranking investment product among millennials. (Statista, Gen Z and millennial investment preferences in the United States in 2022, by security type, 2022).
  

• In 2022, investors worldwide projected an average annual return of approximately 11.4% from their portfolios, marking the most optimistic year in recent times. (Statista, Average annual return expectation from investment portfolios worldwide from 2017 to 2022, 2022).
  

• Research co-authored by Wharton’s Christina Zhu reveals that although retail investors do pay attention to firms' ESG activities, they primarily care about how these efforts impact the financial value of their investments. (Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, How Retail Investors Value ESG and Frame Sustainable Investment Strategies, October 2023).

Retail Investor Performance

• Retail investors have achieved average returns of 12.6% over the past three years, outperforming the 10.7% returns of professional fund managers, based on analysis by the online platform Interactive Investor. This highlights the growing competence of amateur investors in the financial markets (The Times, Amateur investors on par with City fund managers, May 2024).
  

• Retail investors shifted away from mutual funds, reducing ownership from 72% in 2018 to 62% in 2023 while doubling their average number of equity investments from 4 to 8. This highlights an evolving investment strategy toward higher-growth asset classes (Broadridge, Landmark Broadridge Study of More than 40 Million U.S. Retail Investors, May 2024).
  

• High-Net-Worth investors led in self-directed investing, allocating nearly 25% of their assets through online discount brokerages—outpacing the Mass Market and Mass Affluent segments. This indicates increased self-reliance and investment expertise in managing portfolios (Broadridge, Landmark Broadridge Study of More than 40 Million U.S. Retail Investors, May 2024).
  

• The shift to online discount brokerage platforms contributed to asset growth, with the share of total assets allocated through these platforms rising from 14% in 2018 to 23% in 2023. This trend reflects improved investor returns through reduced fees and diversified portfolios (Broadridge, Landmark Broadridge Study of More than 40 Million U.S. Retail Investors, May 2024).

Driving Factors Behind Retail Investor Growth

Technological and Platform Innovations

• One study showed that after the adoption of a mobile app, trading volume rose by 80%, and investor attention increased by 143% (Amundi, Retail Investors’ Behaviour in the Digital Age: How Digitalisation is Impacting Investment Decisions, June 2023).
  

• Younger generations are increasingly turning to social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Reddit for financial advice and investment ideas. A survey by Hargreaves Lansdown found that more people, especially those under 35, now look to social media for investment knowledge (Financial Times, Would you turn to Reddit for investment ideas?, July 2024).
  

• Aegon research finds over half of adults (54%) have put money into investments because of low interest rates available on cash savings (Aegon, NextWealth Managing Lifetime Wealth, January 2024).
  

• The GameStop short squeeze in early 2021 significantly influenced retail investing, highlighting the growing impact of individual investors on financial markets. On a single day during the GameStop rally, Robinhood facilitated $5 billion in equity trades, underscoring the substantial activity driven by retail investors (ECGI, GameStop and the Reemergence of the Retail Investor, April 2022).
  

• Macroeconomic surprises, such as unexpected changes in retail sales or house prices, can impact investor behavior. Studies have shown that stronger-than-expected economic indicators can lead to increased stock returns and influence trading decisions (Springer Nature, Do financial markets respond to macroeconomic surprises? Evidence from the UK, August 2021).
  

• A rise in FINRA-registered representatives from 2019 to 2023 shows growth in the financial services industry and increased demand for investment-related roles. This trend suggests more investor participation, a wider range of securities products, and stronger activity in investment markets. It also reflects the industry's commitment to maintaining high standards by requiring representatives to pass qualification exams. Overall, this points to expanding opportunities for both professionals and investors in the financial sector (Finra.org, 2024 FINRA Industry Snapshot, July 2024).
  

• Capital formation trends show that businesses are actively looking for money to grow. The number of corporate financing filings and the involvement of Capital Acquisition Brokers (CABs) reflect active participation in raising capital via funding portals. This shows more companies are using modern tools and experts to attract investors and secure the money they need to expand. This growing activity suggests there are plenty of opportunities for companies and investors to work together (Finra.org, 2024 FINRA Industry Snapshot, July 2024).

Investor Risk Tolerance

Risk Profiles Across Demographics

• Women, compared to men, report larger financial constraints, higher risk aversion, perceived stress in financial matters, and lower trust in financial institutions, leading to more conservative investment choices. (SSRN, The Gender Investment Gap: Reasons and Consequences, January 2024).
  

• Men’s portfolios had higher market risk and less diversification than women’s. Women’s portfolios aligned more closely with market benchmarks and held lower idiosyncratic risk. Meanwhile, younger investors held higher market risk than older investors (JPMorgan Chase, Retail risk: Investors’ portfolios during the pandemic, October 2024).

Fraud and Investor Protection

• After years of decline, reported fraud attempts have risen. Those without savings or who are not currently investing are more likely to encounter fraudulent schemes. Victimization rates remain stable, but younger individuals are increasingly targeted compared to older age groups (CSA 2024 Investor Index, Survey Report, April 2024).

Shifts in Risk Appetite Over Time

• Market risk (beta) increased by an average of 15% from 2019 to 2021. By mid-2023, market risk levels remained 10% higher than in 2019 (JPMorgan Chase, Retail risk: Investors’ portfolios during the pandemic, October 2024).
  

Key Statistics from Major Platforms

• In 2010, retail trading accounted for less than 10% of the total U.S. stock market trading volume. By 2023, retail trading volume increased to more than 18%. (SSRN, Retail Investors’ Behavior in the Digital Age: How Digitalization is Impacting Investment Decisions, July 2023).

Robinhood Markets

• Funded customers on Robinhood at the end of November were 24.8 million (up approximately 420,000 from October 2024, up approximately 1.5 million year-over-year) (Robinhood Markets, Inc. Robinhood November Monthly Metrics Release, December 2024).
  

• Robinhood Markets reported $195 billion in Assets Under Custody (AUC) at the end of November 2024, reflecting a 22% increase from October and a 106% year-over-year surge. Net Deposits in November reached $5.6 billion, indicating a 42% annualized growth rate based on October's AUC. Over the past 12 months, Net Deposits totaled $47.4 billion, translating to a 50% annual growth rate compared to November 2023 (Robinhood Markets, Inc. Robinhood November Monthly Metrics Release, December 2024).
  

• Equity Notional Trading Volumes were $147.1 billion (up 16% from October 2024, up 178% year-over-year). Options Contracts Traded were 155.5 million (down 2% from October 2024, up 63% year-over-year). Crypto Notional Trading Volumes were $35.2 billion (up over 500% from October 2024, up over 700% year-over-year) (Robinhood Markets, Inc. Robinhood November Monthly Metrics Release, December 2024).
  

• Margin balances at the end of November were $6.8 billion (up 10% from the end of October 2024, up 100% year-over-year) (Robinhood Markets, Inc. Robinhood November Monthly Metrics Release, December 2024).
  

Charles Schwab

• Charles Schwab reported Core Net New Assets of $28.8 billion in November 2024, contributed by both new and existing clients. Excluding mutual fund clearing, net new assets amounted to $24.1 billion (Charles Schwab, Schwab Reports Monthly Activity Highlights, December 2024).
  

• Total Client Assets reached $10.31 trillion as of November 30, 2024, representing a 26% increase year-over-year and a 5% rise from October 2024 (Charles Schwab, Schwab Reports Monthly Activity Highlights, December 2024).
  

• Daily Average Trades for the month totaled 6.6 million, showing a 20% month-over-month increase, primarily driven by equity trading activity (Charles Schwab, Schwab Reports Monthly Activity Highlights, December 2024).
  

• Transactional Sweep Cash (uninvested client funds moved into interest-bearing accounts until needed) stood at $393.7 billion at the end of November, remaining consistent with the previous month (Charles Schwab, Schwab Reports Monthly Activity Highlights, December 2024).
  

• 2024 net revenue is forecasted to grow 3.0%-3.5%, up from the earlier 2.0%-3.0% estimate, driven by stronger investor activity and stable sweep cash balances (Charles Schwab, Schwab Reports Monthly Activity Highlights, December 2024).

Interactive Investor

• Daily Average Revenue Trades (DARTs) reached 3.267 million, a 66% increase year-over-year and a 1% decrease from November. The annualized average cleared DARTs per client account was 219. (Interactive Brokers, Interactive Brokers Group Reports Brokerage Metrics and Other Financial Information for December 2024, includes Reg.-NMS Execution Statistics, January 2025).
  

• Client equity ended at $568.2 billion, reflecting a 33% increase year-over-year and 1% decrease month-over-month (Interactive Brokers, Interactive Brokers Group Reports Brokerage Metrics and Other Financial Information for December 2024, includes Reg.-NMS Execution Statistics, January 2025).
  

• Client margin loan balances totaled $64.2 billion, up 45% year-over-year and 7% month-over-month (Interactive Brokers, Interactive Brokers Group Reports Brokerage Metrics and Other Financial Information for December 2024, includes Reg.-NMS Execution Statistics, January 2025).
  

• Client credit balances, including $4.9 billion in insured bank deposit sweeps, rose to $119.7 billion, a 15% increase year-over-year and 1% month-over-month (Interactive Brokers, Interactive Brokers Group Reports Brokerage Metrics and Other Financial Information for December 2024, includes Reg.-NMS Execution Statistics, January 2025).
  

• Total client accounts reached 3.34 million, marking a 30% increase year-over-year and 3% month-over-month growth (Interactive Brokers, Interactive Brokers Group Reports Brokerage Metrics and Other Financial Information for December 2024, includes Reg.-NMS Execution Statistics, January 2025).

New Brokerage Accounts and Trading App Downloads:

• In 2020, about 5 million new retail brokerage accounts were opened, representing 15% of U.S. stock market investors. (Charles Schwab, The Rise of the Investor Generation, February 2021).
  

• Over 6 million Americans downloaded a trading app in January 2021 alone. (Deloitte, The rise of newly empowered retail investors, December 2021).
  

• Over 25 million people in the U.S. use smartphones to trade securities. (Amundi, Retail Investors’ Behaviour in the Digital Age: How Digitalisation is Impacting Investment Decisions, June 2023).

Insights from Regulatory and Governing Bodies

• Awareness of national and regional financial regulatory bodies is mixed. Investors tend to be more familiar with local regulators than national ones, and both entities hold generally favorable but mild reputations. Most investors express neutral or uncertain opinions about these organizations (CSA 2024 Investor Index, Survey Report, April 2024).
  

• Between 2019 and 2023, there was a steady increase in National Market System (NMS) stock trading volumes, indicating rising market engagement, which could signal opportunities for enhanced liquidity and visibility (Finra.org, 2024 FINRA Industry Snapshot, July 2024).

Global Retail Investor Growth

Retail investors play a significant role in North American financial markets, with their influence steadily rising. However, there is also a clear rise in retail investor interest internationally.

Regional Highlights

The number of retail investors has increased significantly across various regions in recent years.

• The retail investor base in France more than doubled from 1 million in 2019 to 2.5 million by 2021. (Euronext Corporate Services, The Rise of Retail Investors: An Expert Analysis, October 2023).
  

• Similarly, Belgium experienced a 50% rise in active retail investors between the first quarter of 2019 and the third quarter of 2021. (Euronext Corporate Services, The Rise of Retail Investors: An Expert Analysis, October 2023).
  

• In Germany, the retail investor population grew from 8.5 million in 2011 to 12.1 million in 2021, representing 14.53% of the population aged 14 and above. (Euronerd, Europe Investor Statistics for 2023: How Many Retail Investors Are There in Europe?, November 2023).
  

• The United States also saw an increase, with 58% of households owning stocks in 2022, up from 49% in 2013. (JPMorgan Chase Institute, The Rise in Retail Investing: Roles of the Economic Cycle and Income Growth, 2024).
  

• This upward trend is evident in other regions as well. For instance, in India, the number of retail investor accounts has surged, contributing to the doubling of the Nifty 50 index over the past five years. (Financial Times, The Young Investors Gambling on Indian Stocks, July 2024).
  

• In Australia, 46% of Gen Z investors increased their portfolio contributions in the past three months, surpassing other age groups. (News.com.au, eToro data shows gen Z Aussies piling into stocks, October 2024).
  

These statistics highlight a global rise in retail investor participation, driven by factors such as technological advancements, increased financial literacy, and greater access to financial markets.

Digital Marketing Insights for Investor Communication

• Advertising regulation filings by investment companies grew, with a focus on digital and traditional marketing methods tailored to retail investors (Finra.org, 2024 FINRA Industry Snapshot, July 2024).
  

• Retail investors on platforms like StockTwits often create “echo chambers” by selectively following users who share their sentiments (bullish or bearish). One study showed bulls are 5x more likely to follow users with bullish views of the same stock compared to bears (Amundi, Retail Investors’ Behaviour in the Digital Age: How Digitalisation is Impacting Investment Decisions, June 2023).

Search Engine Optimization Statistics for Investor Marketing

• ​​Google currently has 89.98% market share of the search engine market worldwide (Statcounter, Search Engine Market Share Worldwide, November 2024).

• Google's algorithm considers over 200 factors to determine website rankings, ensuring search results are relevant and high-quality (Backlinko, Google’s 200 Ranking Factors: The Complete List, November 2024).
  

• Organic search is a cost-effective way to drive traffic and leads, offering long-term visibility through SEO without the need for continuous ad spending (Design Rush, 7 Best Digital Marketing Channels: ROI Comparison (2024), September 2024).
  

• SEO experts estimate that new websites take three to six months to rank, though timelines can vary based on content quality and keyword competition (Positional, How Long Does It Take to Rank in Google with SEO? January 2024).
  

• Google's new AI-driven summaries on search pages provide direct answers to user queries, reducing click-through traffic for some businesses but offering opportunities for brands with high-quality, well-structured content to gain visibility and credibility (Inner Media, How Google’s New AI-Organised Search Results Will Impact SEO, November 2024).

Market Projections

• Goldman Sachs predicts that the S&P500 will climb 9% to reach 6300 in the next 12 months (Goldman Sachs, How Trump’s election is forecast to affect US stocks, November 2024).
  

• Goldman Sachs Research’s IPO Issuance Barometer currently reads 137, reflecting a favorable environment for IPOs. For context, the previous peak was 201 in June 2021 (post-COVID issuance boom), and the previous low was just 7 in September 2022 (Goldman Sachs, How Trump’s election is forecast to affect US stocks, November 2024).

Technology and Future Trends

• Fintech platforms have democratized investing through lower transaction costs, mobile-first applications, and access to diverse financial products (World Bank Group, Fintech and the Future of Finance, October 2023).

• Fintech has enabled more people, particularly younger investors, to access investment markets by reducing barriers such as minimum account balances and high brokerage fees (McKinsey & Company, Global payments in 2024: Simpler interfaces, complex reality, October 18, 2024).