The asset center of gravity for investors in their 20s and 30s is rapidly shifting overseas. In particular, investors in their 20s are concentrating 60% of their total investment funds in overseas markets, effectively making overseas markets their main investment arena rather than the domestic market.

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According to the report titled "Analysis of Characteristics and Performance of Individual Investors' Overseas Investments" by Capital Market Research Institute researchers Kang Sohyun and Kim Minki released on the 10th, individual investors held an average of 5.92 securities products per day, of which domestic stocks accounted for 4.91.

Investors in their 20s and 30s showed a relatively high share of overseas stocks and overseas exchange-traded products (ETPs). In particular, investors in their 20s were investing 60.0% of their total investment amount in overseas ETPs, including exchange-traded funds (ETFs). This is nearly twice the share of domestic stocks, which stood at 30.8%. Investors in their 30s also focused on global portfolios, putting 45.5% of their investment funds into overseas ETPs. By contrast, the older the age group, the stronger the preference for the domestic stock market. For investors in their 60s, domestic stocks accounted for 90.9% of their holdings, while overseas ETPs made up only 12.8%.

On February 6, 2026, at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in the United States, the Dow Jones Industrial Average surpassed 50,000, and traders on the floor reacted after the close. Reuters and Yonhap News

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On the 10th, with the KOSPI opening higher, dealers are busily moving in the dealing room at Hana Bank's head office in Jung-gu, Seoul. Yonhap News

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Investment styles also differed by gender. Female investors held an average of 6.38 stocks, showing a tendency toward diversification by spreading assets across more stocks than male investors, who held 5.52 on average. However, the share of domestic stocks among women was 84.5%, higher than that of men at 81.6%. The average investment amount for men was 58.87 million won, about 30% higher than that of women, whose average investment amounted to 44.10 million won.

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The size of assets was a key indicator determining the ability to diversify. Small investors with 5 million won or less held only 2.7 stocks on average, showing a tendency to concentrate on specific stocks. By contrast, large investors managing more than 300 million won held an average of 12.9 stocks in their portfolios. Investors with more than 300 million won significantly reduced the share of domestic stocks to 43.4% and allocated their assets across markets worldwide.

The overall performance of individual investors remained sluggish, underperforming the market return. Some improvement in performance was observed among investors who managed risk through overseas investments, but about half of them still recorded returns that fell short of expectations.

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The Capital Market Research Institute stated, "We need to expand customized financial education for young people and small investors, as well as digital, technology-based risk warning systems."