Analysis Of Securities Investment By Koreans In 2010

The Korea Exchange (KRX) analyzed the number of Korean who invested in the stocks of 723 companies listed in the KOSPI Market and 1,011 companies listed in the KOSDAQ Market in 2010.

4.8 million (9.8% of total population; 19.5% of economically active population) Koreans invested in the stocks listed in the KRX Markets, showing an increase of 0.2% and 0.4%, respectively, from the previous year. Specifically, 3.9 Koreans (up 1.8% over 2009) invested in the KOSPI Market and 2.1 million (up 0.1% over 2009) in the KOSDAQ Market, respectively.

The ratio of male investors to female investors was 61:39, showing that the male investors outnumbers the female investors. But, the number of male investors declined by 2.3%, while the number of female investors increased by 2.9% in 2010.

Average age of the KOSPI investors was 48.1 years, while the KOSDAQ investors were much younger showing the average age of 44.3 years. The investors in their 40s showed the highest in terms of number in both the KOSPI and KOSDAQ Markets, holding 27.8% and 32.7% of listed shares, respectively.

Balance of holding per investor was: KRW 28million for investors in their 30s; KRW 49million for 40s; KRW 73 million for 50s; and KRW 121million for over 60s. The balance of holding increased along with the age of investors.

The shareholding per investor group showed that the foreign investors holds 31.2%, corporations 28.0%, retail investors 24.1% and institutional investors 13.4%, respectively. In KOSPI Market, the shareholding of foreign investors (33%) was the highest and in the KOSDAQ Market, the shareholding of retail investors (57.9%) was the highest.