Yet again, Tesla topped the list of the most popular stocks among UK investors last week. The carmaker accounted for almost 6% of shares purchased among Hargreaves Lansdown clients.
So which other stocks made the top five list? Let’s take a look.
[top_pitch]
What were the most popular stocks to buy among UK investors last week?
According to Hargreaves Lansdown, here are the five most popular stocks bought among its UK investors last week.
1. Tesla
Last week, Tesla accounted for 5.91% of all shares bought among Hargreaves Lansdown clients in the UK.
It’s been a bad week for the Tesla share price, with its stock falling 10% in seven days. Despite this, UK investors continue to line up to purchase the carmaker’s stock, no doubt hoping its price will recover to levels seen at the start of the month.
On 4 November, the Tesla share price stood at $1,229 (£914), compared with $1,033 (£769) at the end of last week.
2. Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust
In second place, Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust accounted for 2.17% of stock trades last week, not far off the 2.8% it claimed the week before.
The publicly traded investment trust’s share price has decreased just under 1% over the past week. On Monday morning, its share price stood at £1,501, compared with £1,514 seven days ago.
3. iShares plc
iShares plc, which is a collection of exchange-traded funds managed by BlackRock, was the third most popular share to buy last week among UK investors, accounting for 2% of all trades. The company’s share price has increased slightly over the past week, from £2,186 to £2,225.
4. Rolls Royce Holdings plc
It’s a new entry at number four, with Rolls Royce accounting for 1.35% of shares bought last week. On Friday, the aerospace and defence company announced it was committed to a ‘shared vision on sustainable aviation‘ alongside Etihad Airways.
It’s been a rocky few days for Rolls Royce, with its share price starting last week at £141.76, rising to £147.20 by Wednesday and ending the week at £145.38.
5. International Consolidated Airlines Group SA
International Consolidated Airlines Group was the fifth most popular share to buy last week. The airline company accounted for 1.27% of buy trades following a bad week.
Last Monday, the Anglo-Spanish company’s share price stood at £177.38. It has since fallen to £166.39.
What were the most popular stocks to sell?
According to Hargreaves Lansdown, Tesla was the most popular share to sell last week among its UK investors. The carmaker’s stock accounted for 5.58% of all sales when taking into account the value of shares traded.
Other stocks featuring on both the most purchased and most sold list include Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust and iShares plc. Sales in these stocks accounted for 2.03% and 1.81% of the overall sales total.
Argo Blockchain plc was the fourth most popular stock to sell. The London-based software company has had a decent week, with its share price rising over 5%.
The fifth most sold stock last week was Rolls Royce Holdings plc, accounting for 1.7% of shares sold.
[middle_pitch]
What does this data tell us?
Tesla, Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust and iShares plc have been familiar faces on the list of the most bought and sold shares over the past few weeks.
This tells us that UK investors remain eager to invest in companies that have experienced big swings in their share price over the past year or so. As a result, many of these investors are almost certainly looking to make a quick buck from the short-term trading of these volatile stocks.
The inclusion of Rolls Royce on the most bought list may also show us that some investors have welcomed its sustainable vision announcement. This is perhaps not surprising given that the climate has been very much on the global news agenda over the past few weeks due to the COP 26 conference.
On a similar note, the inclusion of International Consolidated Airlines Group on the most bought shares list may give an indication that investors believe the group’s shares are undervalued. The company’s share price has lost more than 12% of its value over the past six months.
Can you use this data to help you pick stocks?
The past price movement of stock should never be relied upon to give an indication of future performance. While some stock prices may look like a rollercoaster on their respective share price graph, there are no guarantees that this will continue in the future.
Remember that the value of any investment can go down as well as up. Only ever invest what you can afford to lose.
If you’re new to investing, our investing basics guide can help you learn more about investing your wealth. And if you’re looking to invest, see our list of top-rated share dealing accounts.
