These are the shares UK investors were buying last week

The big UK share indexes had mixed fortunes last week, with the FTSE 100 rising slightly and FTSE 250 falling by almost the same margin.

So, given the stock market’s varied performance last week, let’s take a look at the shares UK investors were buying.

[top_pitch]

How did UK share indexes perform last week?

The FTSE 100 rose 0.85% over the seven-day period, while the FTSE All-Share Index climbed 0.84%.

Despite these rises, the FTSE 250 didn’t particularly have a week to remember. The UK’s second-largest share index slumped 0.7% between Monday and Friday last week.

Which shares were UK investors buying last week?

Now that we’ve touched on the performance of the two major UK share indexes, let’s take a look at the shares UK investors bought last week.

Here are the 10 most popular shares bought by Hargreaves Lansdown clients last week, in terms of the number of deals placed.

As the table above shows, UK investors were keen to pick up stocks in the mining and banking sectors last week. Let’s take a closer look at the top three companies on this list.

1. Polymetal International plc

Polymetal International is a precious metals mining company. While listed on the London Stock Exchange, the company was founded in Russia and has significant interests in the country. Despite this, the company isn’t subject to any Western sanctions associated with the war in Ukraine.

Last week, the Polymetal share price performed admirably, soaring 29.2% between Monday and Friday.

2. Barclays plc

Barclays is the fourth-biggest bank in the UK. Last week, the Barclays share price lost 8% of its value following news the bank had made a major trading gaffe.

On Monday 28 March, the bank said it had accidentally breached limits on the level of structured retail products it issued under US rules. The mistake is set to cost Barclays a cool £450 million.

3. Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc

Rolls-Royce Holdings is a British aerospace and defence company.

Its shares are down a massive 21% since the year began, though last week was a decent one for the company. Between Monday and Friday, Rolls Royce shares climbed 1%.

[middle_pitch]

What were the most popular shares to sell last week?

Here are the 10 shares that UK investors were offloading last week.

What does this data tell us?

From looking at last week’s data, we can see that UK investors were keen to buy stocks in the banking and mining industries. Meanwhile, we can also see UK investors were eager to sell oil and gas stocks last week.

Such trends can be interesting, and they can give us an indication of how the market expects these sectors to perform in the future. However, it should also be pointed out that studying the past performance of a stock, or buying trends, can be dangerous.

Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns because, in the world of investing, the market is always (at least) one step ahead. In other words, it’s rarely a winning strategy to base investing decisions on short-term trends or recent price swings. 

Instead, choose your investments carefully. Always do your own research and ensure you take into account your personal appetite for risk. 

Are you looking to invest? Take a look at our top-rated share dealing accounts. If you’re a newbie, also take the time to read our investing basics guide to get yourself on the right path.