Retail investors build up assets in brokerage accounts
In 2023 Q1, the number of brokers’ clients increased by 6% to 24.5 million people. Excluding zero-balance accounts and those with small sums of money, the average account balance grew to ₽1.4 million. This is confirmed by the data from the Review of Key Indicators of Professional Securities Market Participants.
The quarterly net inflow of funds from individuals hit a record high since late 2021 and, according to major brokers, totalled ₽285 billion. The amount of retail investors’ assets placed with brokers reached ₽7 trillion. The proportion of Russian shares and bonds edged up in their portfolio, while that of foreign assets declined from 31% to 28%.
In the asset management segment, the amount of retail portfolios rose to ₽1.4 trillion owing to the inflow of funds into short-term money market strategies from mass long-term ones (including those initiated as part of individual investment accounts management). The average portfolio of a retail investor expanded to ₽1.7 million from ₽1.5 million.