Firstly, thanks to everyone who has taken part in our two surveys to date. Your responses so far have given us a picture of the type of content you would like to see from us and we are working to incorporate your feedback.
An important part of the survey initiative was to share with our newsletter subscribers the information we receive, to help you understand where market sentiment is positioned across a group of over 4,000 investors.
Technology sector on top
We asked you to tell us which sectors you were most interested in, and you were able to choose as many sectors as you wanted to. Over 77% of you chose Technology as the overwhelming favourite which is interesting in itself. The sector remains buoyant, although some experts now feel that the heavy hitters, particularly in the US, are over priced. With that in mind, we live in a world where technology is continually moving and opportunities will remain constant. We will be vigilant and bring you thoughts on stocks we may feel provide opportunity.
The Mining sector was next, with 70% of you expressing a current interest. It’s a sector that can divide opinion and at the smaller end of the scale, the sector is not for the faint-hearted. However, the rewards are there if you manage to pick a junior miner that makes a successful discovery. At a time when commodities are enjoying a good run, this could well be a good place to be.
Biotech / Pharma comes in next with 63% of you expressing interest in the sector. It’s hardly surprising given the last two years we have experienced that this sector would not be far from everyone’s mind. Covid has presented investors with opportunities through some of the biggest companies in the world, and many smaller businesses have come to the fore, providing incredible gains for those fortunate enough to buy in at the right time. While the sector has undoubtedly lost some of its draw over the last six months, headlines at the end of last week suggest that Covid remains a significant risk. The sector will remain an important defensive play for active investors.
The last sector I would like to draw your attention to is the Sustainable sector which was of interest to more than 50% of you. For us here at The Armchair Trader, we feel this sector has an important role to play going forward if governments around the world are serious about achieving the targets set out at COP26 last month. We will continue to search for opportunities that we can share with you.
Here is the full list:
- Technology – 77%
- Mining – 70%
- Biotech / Pharma – 63%
- Sustainable – 52%
- Cryptocurrencies – 41%
- Finance – 40%
- Retail – 30%
- Travel /Lifestyle – 15%
Self-directed investors
We also asked you how you gain exposure to your chosen markets. The results were unequivocal. You are a group of self-directed investors who prefer to take control of your investments (85%) rather than pay higher fees for a fund manager to do it for you. It was interesting to note that Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), which are a useful tool in the investor playbook, managed only 37% of your votes. We believe that these types of funds are a great way to help you diversify your portfolio over a longer term period without paying the high fees that active fund managers charge. We’ll be writing more about them as we head into the new year.
Here is the full list:
- Stocks and Shares – 85%
- Investment Trusts – 41%
- Managed Funds – 39%
- Exchange Traded Funds – 37%
- Spread Betting – 11%
These surveys have proved to be a big success and we will continue to run them on a regular basis throughout 2022. We will continue to run a prize draw in conjunction with these surveys too. It’s our way of saying thank you for your ongoing support. Congratulations to Darren Cutmore who has won a £50 Amazon voucher for the latest survey. Do look out for our next survey via our daily newsletter – it will be open in the run up to Christmas.