Retail investors change behavior in Q2: Bank of Russia’s review
Prices in the equity market declined in the second quarter, prompting investors with more than three years of experience and large portfolios to decrease their activity and take a wait-and-see approach. Investors who are newcomers on the exchange turned to speculative investments in equities in April and May and then switched to long-term investments in bonds in June.
The total number of brokerage clients reached 25.6 million as of the end of Q2. Individuals’ assets in brokerage accounts amounted to 5.4 trillion rubles. At the same time, the average amount of retail investors’ brokerage and trust management accounts decreased. This occurred due to the negative revaluation of foreign currency investments and because a large part of assets in foreign depositories’ accounts remains frozen, preventing investors from earning returns on them.
More details on the situation in the market in 2022 Q2 are available in the Review of Key Indicators of Professional Securities Market Participants.