During the first half of the year, purchases of international stocks by OP's stock investor customers aged 18–24 were up 173% compared to the same period in 2023. Technology company Nvidia has been most popular stock among young investors this year.

More and more investors are looking beyond Nasdaq Helsinki and Finland for interesting and lucrative investments. Between January and June this year, OP's personal customers spent 60% more on purchases of international stocks compared to the same period in 2023. There has not been similar growth in Finnish stocks.

Young people have been by far the most active group in buying international stocks compared to last year. Between January and June, OP customers aged 18–24 who invest in stocks spent 173% more on purchases of international stocks compared to the same period in 2023. Nvidia has been by far the most popular international stock among young investors at OP this year in terms of net purchases. 

Additionally, according to a survey commissioned by OP from Taloustutkimus, 30% of Finnish investors who own international stocks say they have increased the sums spent on international stocks during the last year. The figure is as high as 38% among investors aged 16–25.

"Finnish listed companies account for less than one per cent of global stock market. Focusing solely on domestic stocks significantly restricts available investment options, so I see it as a positive that young investors understand the importance of finding stocks to invest in beyond the Finnish stock market," says Kai Kalajainen, Director, Wealth Management at OP.

"By investing in different regions at different times, investors can diversify the risk of investments. Global markets can offer protection for invested capital if companies listed on Nasdaq Helsinki or their sectors are experiencing difficulties, for example," adds Kalajainen.  

Nvidia takes top spot in international stocks owned by OP's customers investing in foreign stock markets

The US company Nvidia, which manufactures chips for AI applications, is the most interesting international stock among Finnish investors right now, according to OP's survey. However, the majority of respondents in the survey could not name an international stock they were most interested in.

Nvidia's popularity is illustrated by the fact that the stock has become the most owned international stock among OP's personal customers in terms of the number of customers owning it, ahead of companies such as Microsoft, Tesla and Apple. In terms of market value, however, Novo Nordisk edges out slightly as the most owned international stock among personal customers.

"The AI boom has reshaped the list of most owned stocks in a fairly short period. Novo Nordisk has been on the list of most owned stocks for some time and is currently the second most owned international stock in terms of total number of customers owning it. Tesla rounds off the top three as the third most owned international stock at the moment," says Kalajainen.