Statistics 13 February 2020 1:00 PM

Households’ investments in equity and equity funds grew in 2019

At the end of December 2019, Finnish households owned listed shares worth EUR 39.0 billion. In 2019, the value of listed shares owned by households increased by over EUR 6 billion. The value of the shareholdings rose by EUR 5.7 billion due to positive market performance. In addition, households invested EUR 0.6 billion of new capital in net terms in equities during the year. Over 90% of the equity investments were made in domestic companies.

The largest monthly increase in households’ shareholdings in 2019 took place in January, when the holdings increased by EUR 2.3 billion. In December 2019, the value of shareholdings increased by EUR 1.4 billion and households sold more shares than they bought, in net terms EUR –0.1 billion.

In spite of the appreciation of equity investments in 2019 and the investment of new capital, households’ listed shareholdings remain at a slightly lower level than in August 2018 or May 2017, when they amounted to EUR 39.1 billion.

In addition to direct equity holdings, Finnish households have indirect holdings in listed shares through investment funds. At the end of December 2019, households held investments worth EUR 8.8 billion in equity funds¹ registered in Finland. Equity fund investments increased by EUR 1.8 billion in 2019. The growth is mainly explained by positive equity market performance. In addition, households made more subscriptions to equity funds than redemptions from them in 2019, EUR 0.2 billion in net terms. Households also have indirect equity holdings for example through mixed funds. A significant proportion of households’ indirect equity holdings through investment funds are in foreign listed shares.

Households’ assets are also channelled to investment funds and thereby to shares through unit-linked insurance policies made with insurance companies. Households had an estimated EUR 10 billion invested in equity funds and EUR 0.8 billion directly in listed shares through unit-linked insurance policies.

¹ UCITS funds.

Finnish deposits and investments (EUR million), 2019Q4

	All		Households		Employment pension schemes
	stock (flows)	change in valuation	stock (flows)	change in valuation	stock (flows)	change in valuation
Finnish investments
Listed shares	189 654	11 015	39 011	2 279	29 643	1 739
	(-1 862)		(-39)		(-2 158)
- in domestic shares	128 672	7 151	35 655	2 050	16 646	1 006
	(653)		(-73)		(-850)

Bonds	197 369	-2 537	2 310	23	35 071	-589
	(214)		(-49)		(-585)
- in domestic bonds	66 725	-1 064	1 461	14	3 667	-49
	(-1 766)		(-46)		(-475)

Fund shares
Domestic investment funds	100 747	2 703	25 336	779	6 147	183
	(-166)		(583)		(-93)

Foreign funds	151 862	3 662	2 766	129	107 893	2 402
	(3 964)		(167)		(2 553)

Finnish bank deposits
Transaction accounts	152 940	-24	82 299	-3	5 766	3
	(4 276)		(705)		(209)
Other deposits	47 542	-2	12 830	0	-*	-*
	(767)		(-123)		-*