US rally boosts Sharesies retail sentiment defying usual Christmas jitters

Investor sentiment in September to December or the Q3 financial year, went from cautious to concerned and back again. This contrasts with previous two years when Sharesies saw steep drop offs in confidence during November and December as investors felt less well-off and faced holiday season demands.

Sharesies joint CEO Brooke Roberts says the rising cost of living hasn’t impacted Sharesies investment. “The majority of investors on the platform are investing over time, so we’re seeing dollar cost averaging and habitual investing behaviour.

“I think there's a lot more awareness now in terms of the benefits of investing and that you can invest amounts that you can afford, it doesn't have to be a big lump sum of money.”

Trading volumes and the net buy/sell ratio provided the proof in the Christmas pudding that sentiment remained steady. December trading volumes were the highest in Sharesies’ six year history, probably due to the US market rallying after the Federal Reserve signalled interest rate cuts for 2024.