Australian investors undeterred amidst global uncertainty, prioritise financial security, tech stocks, and tangible goals
Sharesies
Key Facts:- 61% of Australian investors maintain or increase investments despite global uncertainty, with 65% comfortable with current or increased risk levels
- Financial security is the primary investment motivation (68%), followed by retirement planning (56%) and home ownership (20%)
- Technology sector leads investment preferences (77%), followed by healthcare (56%), financial services (51%), and resources (39%)
- While 43% consider ESG factors important for investments, only 4% currently hold ESG-focused investments
- 74% of respondents feel confident or somewhat confident in managing their wealth, though 30% are still developing their investment strategy
Australian investors undeterred amidst global uncertainty, prioritise financial security, tech stocks, and tangible goals
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – September 17, 2025 – Wealth app Sharesies reveals that Aussies aren’t deterred by tumultuous global issues when making investment decisions.
A survey of retail investors shows they remain confident in their investments despite global uncertainties, choosing to maintain or increase their investments (61%). A similar number (65%) also admitted to being comfortable with the same, or increased amount of risk in their choice of investments.
The survey of over 2,500 also revealed a strong preference for local assets, with investments in homegrown companies (73%) and ETFs (71%) helping everyday people achieve key personal milestones, such as feeling financially secure (68%), setting themselves up for retirement (56%), and buying their own home (20%).
Investment goals driven by the need for financial security
While investors remain undeterred in their investments, Aussies are motivated by immediate stability and significant life goals, with a third (33%) looking to hold their investment for 20 years or more.
The top reason Australians invest is to feel financially secure (68%), with paying off mortgage (30%), working by choice (21%), and relying on passive income (16%) being identified as the top 3 factors contributing to the feeling.
Other motivations for retail investors include setting themselves up for retirement (56%), and buying their own home (20%) - which is particularly strong among younger Australians aged 18-24 (49%) and residents of NSW and NT.
Family-oriented milestones are also a significant driver, with 21% of 18-24 year olds investing to support starting a family, 12% of 35-45 year olds investing to fund children’s education, and nearly 20% or higher of those aged 45 years and over investing to build an inheritance for their children - indicating the continuance of wealth transfer and legacy planning.
Investors backing the industries they believe in
Aussies are not only staying the course but also strategically backing industries they believe in, as they look to take advantage of opportunities in Australia’s evolving economic landscape. There’s continued confidence in technology (77%) as the most favoured sector of investment, followed by healthcare (56%), financial services (51%), and resources (39%).
Two in five investors (43%) claim that sustainability and ESG is an important factor when deciding what to invest in, with younger generations (aged 18-44) being the most considered at 45%. This stands in contrast to the older age groups (45-64) where only 37% share the same view. However, only 4% of respondents reported they hold investments with an ESG focus, highlighting a gap in demand for ESG investments vs confidence about what to invest in.
Confidence in wealth management and financial future
The research reveals that confidence in managing wealth and financial futures is evident, with one in four respondents (25%) feeling confident and nearly half (49%) feeling somewhat confident. However, 30% are still developing their investing strategy.
"Australians are increasingly investing to build long-term wealth. Our research shows that 60% of Sharesies investors have got their investing strategy locked in, with a majority feeling confident about their financial future," said Brooke Roberts, Sharesies Co-founder and Co-CEO.
"We see this confidence in investing grow when people have access to the right education, paired with a user-friendly platform, empowering them to directly take action and make informed decisions about their wealth,” she added.
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Methodology
An online survey was conducted with an anonymous sample of the Sharesies Australian customer base. The survey was completed by a total of 2,541 respondents. Findings from the survey were supplemented by additional proprietary behaviour trends on the Sharesies platform.
About Sharesies
Sharesies offers more than 860,000 Aussie and Kiwi investors the opportunity to access shares and ETFs across the AU, US, and NZ markets with no minimum investment. Sharesies has more than $10 billion of platform assets and offers a wide range of investments to suit both new and seasoned investors.
Sharesies Business works with over 600 private companies and listed companies to help them better understand and connect with their retail investors. Services include raising capital, staff share schemes, and an investor relations tool and dashboard called Sharesies Open.
Sharesies is a certified B Corp, meaning the company is committed to delivering a positive impact for its customers, suppliers, workers, community, and the environment.
For more information about Sharesies, visit https://sharesies.com.au/