The first half of 2025 has delivered one shock after another to individual investors. From aggressive tariff policies and threats by the new administration to war in the Middle East, uncertainty and volatility have been constant themes affecting markets and investor sentiment.
Through it all, however, individual investors have mostly remained committed to their investing strategies, and are cautiously optimistic about their portfolios and the future, according to Investopedia’s latest survey of its newsletter readers.
More than half of respondents said they are not making any changes to their investments, while only 24% said they are investing less. Less than a third, or 28%, expect the stock market to fall into a 10% correction or worse over the next six months.
While individual investors aren’t exactly brimming with confidence, they are more confident than institutional investors. According to BofA Securities’ most recent survey, global fund managers are just starting to warm up to the recovery in the stock market and have just recently reduced their cash levels in favor of stocks to pre-April 3 levels, before the White House’s “Liberation Day” tariffs were announced.
Overvalued? No Problem
Individual investors have mostly stayed the course. They are doing so even as most believe that key sectors of the stock market are overvalued: More than half of respondents believe that AI and mega-cap technology stocks are in a “bubble.”
As those sectors, and widely-held stocks like Nvidia (NVDA) and Palantir (PLTR), approach record highs along with the rest of the stock market, investors may have to get used to living with anxiety about valuations.
War, Tariffs and Inflation on Our Minds
Valuations may be the least of individual investors’ concerns given all the disruptive developments so far this year.
The conflict between Iran and Israel is the latest concern concern for investors, although recent news of a ceasefire may quell those worries, to a degree. Tariffs remain one of their top concerns, followed by U.S.-China relations and inflation.
What Stocks Are We Buying and Holding?
Individual investors remain committed to their favorite stocks, with Nvidia, Apple (AAPL), Microsoft (MSFT), Amazon (AMZN) and Alphabet (GOOGL) topping their lists of their current holdings.
Investopedia
When asked which stocks they would buy and hold today for the next 10 years, the list is similar, although Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Palantir are also on that list.
Investopedia
What Would You Do With an Extra $10,000?
As investors continue to acclimate to the unpredictability of economic policy and global affairs, their risk appetite is slowly increasing.
That can be discerned through their response to what they would do with an extra discretionary $10,000 right now: Individual stocks top that list, according to our recent survey, signaling a sustained belief that buying favorite companies remains the favored strategy for building wealth.
Our Methodology
This survey was fielded online to Investopedia readers 18+ living in the U.S. from June 20-23, 2025. Readers needed to hold and manage investments to qualify. Participation in the survey was entirely voluntary.
- Age: 18-24 3% | 25-39 11% | 40-54 17% | 55-69 37% | 70+ 33%
- Region: South 36% | West 27% | Northeast 18% | Midwest 18%
- Gender: Man 79% | Woman 14% | Nonbinary or prefer to self-describe 0%
- Race/Ethnicity (multi-select): White 70% | Black or African American 6% | Hispanic, Latino or Latinx/e 5% | Asian 5% | Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander 1% | American Indian or Alaska Native 2% | Middle Eastern or North African 0% | Another background not mentioned above 1%