Retail investors are tightening their wallets in the stock market. Just three months ago, the average monthly trading amount per individual was 139.68 million won, but it plummeted to 60.1 million won in September, a 57.0% decrease. The number of orders and trading customers at brokerage firms has also declined. This trend follows a significant drop in the KOSPI index, which has seen the steepest decline among major global stock markets since June.
On October 20, an analysis of monthly data from major domestic brokerages, including Mirae Asset, Meritz, Hana, and Hyundai Motor Securities, revealed that the average monthly trading amount per individual investor fell from 139.68 million won in June to 60.1 million won in September. The total number of monthly trading customers also dropped sharply from approximately 2.11 million to about 1.32 million.
Other indicators confirm a shift in individual investment behavior. According to data from a securities firm, the average number of monthly accesses to mobile trading systems (MTS) per individual decreased by 29.1%, from 13.4 times in June to 9.5 times in September.
This change coincides with a period of volatility in the stock market, where the KOSPI has been on a downward trend since reaching its peak in June. Analysts suggest that weary individual investors have entered a wait-and-see mode due to increased market fluctuations. Since June, the KOSPI has experienced the largest decline among major global stock markets. On this day, it closed at 5,552.74, down 34.49% from the closing price of 8,476.15 on May 29, and a 39.08% drop from its peak of 9,114.55 recorded on June 22.
Choi Hyun-jae, head of the research center at Yuanta Securities, stated, "The decrease in trading volume among individual investors is primarily due to the decline in the index. If there are incentives for the index to rise, such as measures to revitalize the KOSDAQ market, individual investors may find some motivation to become more active again."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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