The Perk Network: Q4 2025 Retail Investor Survey Results

Retail Investor Roundup: Q4 2025 Survey Results - 2026 Mood

The results of our survey of the 260,000+ retail investors on Stockperks are in! Below is a summary of what's driving their decisions heading into 2026.

???? Market Sentiment: Cautiously Optimistic

The mood among retail investors has shifted to cautiously optimistic. While the broader economic outlook remains measured, our investor community is showing resilience:

• 26% expect mild or significant recession (down from 34% in Q3) ✅
• Majority anticipate moderate to strong economic growth over the next 12 months
• Stock market performance and political environment (hello, midterms!) are the top factors influencing outlook

Key Takeaway: Investors are staying bullish despite economic uncertainty, with recession fears declining quarter-over-quarter.

???? Investor Behavior: Buy the Dip, Hold the Line

Our investors aren't panic sellers, they're strategic accumulators:

• 90%+ currently hold stocks in their portfolios
• 30%+ are actively looking to buy MORE stocks ????
• Most trade only a few times per year (41%) or rarely (25%)

Key Takeaway: These aren't day traders, these are long-term, growth-oriented investors who weather volatility and see opportunities in market dips. Which also means they’re with you for the long haul, and you should actively engage and cultivate them.

???? What They're Buying

Top sectors for the next 6 months:

• Information Technology (~39% interest)
• Energy (~36% interest)

Why they invest:

• 51% for retirement purposes
• 26% for supplemental income

Key Takeaway: This further reiterates our findings - retail investors have clear, goal-oriented strategies focused on long-term wealth building, not speculation.

???? How They Want to Hear From You

This is critical for public companies: 64% of retail investors want regular email updates from the companies they invest in! Where investors discover opportunities:

• Financial news sources
• Research analysts and financial websites
• Their financial advisors

Key Takeaway: Direct email communication is the overwhelmingly preferred channel. Companies that embrace regular investor updates will stand out from the competition.

???? The Transparency Gap (And the Loyalty Opportunity!)

Here's where it gets interesting:

• 46% feel neutral about corporate transparency
• 22% believe companies are "not very" or "not at all" transparent
• 70%+ of shareholders say they're "likely" or "very likely" to purchase products/services from companies they own shares in ????️

Key Takeaway: There's massive untapped potential! Companies that improve transparency and engage shareholders directly can convert them into brand-loyal customers.

Teaser: Stay tuned for our Q1 2026 survey where we dive deeper into our users’ views on loyalty and stock ownership…

???? The Bottom Line

Retail investors are resilient, long-term focused, and hungry for better communication from the companies they own. More importantly, shareholders want to be customers, presenting a powerful opportunity for public companies to transform their investor relations strategy into a loyalty marketing advantage.

Now’s the time to build a shareholder loyalty and engagement strategy. Stockperks can make loyalty built on ownership a reality.

View the full survey results here.

Please contact us to explore further.

Cheers

Scott & the Stockperks team