The Ultimate List of Investing Statistics for 2023

The rise of investment apps has made it simple to invest in various options.

There is no need to have large sums of money or even go through an intermediary, as you can pick your stocks and watch them grow from the comfort of your home.

In addition, with the recent addition of A.I. investing software quickly becoming more user-friendly and easy to use, you can even execute trades based on specific triggers.

However, there are two things that are sometimes forgotten.

The first is that investment scams (including gold IRA scams) is something to always be aware of.

Secondly, while all these new-fancy gadgets and gizmos is an essential part of investing – statistics can still show you specific patterns that you can follow.

Understanding how the market works and what statistics mean is essential for investing.

Both experienced, and novice investors alike, should use the relevant statistics to keep themselves informed about both their potential and current investments.

This article will review the top investment statistics right now to allow you to make the most of your investments.

Let’s get right into it.

Market Leaders

1. The top six biggest companies define the stock market.

(Various)

The top six companies are Apple (AAPL), Microsoft (MSFT), Alphabet (GOOGL), Amazon.com (AMZN), Meta Platforms (F.B.), and Tesla (TSLA).

They make up almost 25% of the total stock market index.

With such a massive piece of the pie, you can see how these companies affect the market indexes, with shifts in their business affecting everything else around them.

2. NASDAQ also has its six most extensive holdings amounting to as much as 40% of the whole index.

(Various)

40% of the NASDAQ market is comprised of Apple Inc, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta Platforms, Tesla Inc, and Alphabet Inc.

With these companies being at the top of their field, they are good investment options to consider.

3. Similar to the previous statistics, stock market gains from April 2021 came from the five most significant stocks.

(Goldman Sachs)

Goldman Sachs established that the maximum gains were attributed to the five most extensive stocks in the market.

This is yet another statistic that shows how critical big companies are for increasing indexes.

It also gives us an insight into which types of stocks yield the most gains when they rise.

Investors now prefer the safety that comes with diversifying their stock investment to withstand the natural risks that come with volatile stock markets.

Image Credit: Financesonline.com

Change In The Markets

4. The S&P 500 return used data-driven results influenced by the top 10 stocks. However, professionals believe that’s about to change.

(IBD)

While the top 10 stocks are responsible for some of the most significant gains in 2021, things might change rapidly now and in the next few years.

Further returns will come from stocks that didn’t perform well before, which means that stocks in the top ten will influence the indexes more than before.

This is good news for investors, as it means they can expect more returns than usual from atypical stocks, hopefully with less volatility involved.

5. The Coronavirus pandemic might just slowly start becoming a nightmare of the past regarding investing.

(Markit)

Lengthy shipping times, problems with supply, higher fuel costs, energy prices, and other issues might be on the way out.

This also means that inflation and interest rates might slowly decrease by the end of Q4 2022.

All of this is good news for investors looking to get back into the market or add something new, as indexes should start increasing at a more rapid rate.

Average earnings

6. In 2022, earnings from the S&P 500 might increase as much as 9%.

(FactSet)

With 5% being the average increase over 10 ten years, that’s quite a significant number. However, some had predicted a 45% increase in 2020, which didn’t quite happen.

As of now, personal finance is the only sector in the S&P sector that isn’t expected to increase its earnings.

A drop of 8.9% in EPS in this sector seems to be the general expectation, with other sectors doing far better.

For example, industrials should see the highest earnings this year, increasing as much as 45%.

This will be followed by the consumer discretionary sector and the energy sector.

7. The profit margin forecast of S&P 500’s is set at 12.8%.

(FactSet)

While there are still various concerns in the market, the expected profit is quite something.

Problems such as shortage of labor, increased inflation, lack of supply, and more do not seem to be affecting the S&P 500 that much.

With one of the most explosive growth in terms of net profit margin on the horizon, it seems that these problems have slowly started disappearing.

This is something to watch out for, as it might bring in some great returns shortly.

8. Other S&P 500 profit margins will vary according to the industry and sector.

(FactSet)

Technology, financial and real estate could increase profit margins by 15%.

Other industries will have margins under 10%.

These include consumer discretionary, energy as well as consumer staples.

These various industries will see the most significant changes in their earnings and will affect their future and the S&P 500.

Image Credit: Financesonline.com

Managing Margins

9. Companies have managed margins well even with higher costs, increasing the prices of products and services as needed but also increasing efficiency.

(BofA Global Research)

Passing on costs to consumers became the biggest challenge for some companies that failed in 2021.

While some did manage to increase their margins due to efficient management, not all these corporations found success.

However, companies that did well managed to do so by working their costs and becoming more efficient, making it easier for them to retain their clients, manage margins, and still profit.

10. According to Fed funds futures, there’s a 50% chance a first-rate hike will be happening at the Q1 March Fed meeting.

(RBC Wealth Management)

With a first-rate hike potentially appearing in Q1 2022, things might be moving – whether for the better or worse is still to be seen.

However, there’s still uncertainty since the Fed has yet to decide on future rate hikes and how these will affect inflation rates.

Various economists have said there will be three Fed rate hikes in 2022.

This all means that inflation might see a slight rise thanks to the rate hike, but things will still be up in the air for most of 2022.

11. Equities will be the asset of choice in 2022

(RBC Wealth Management)

Equities make up the asset of choice, as we’ve seen in the past.

According to early predictions for 2022, it seems that things will not change much in this regard.

This has been the trend over the last few years, with equities doing pretty well throughout Q1 and Q2 before slowing down a little until year-end.

It does seem that this trend will continue with further positive growth expected.

That isn’t only because the Federal Reserve’s pace of tightening money is further away, but also because the massive stimulus given during Covid is keeping the economy afloat and should last for at least two years.

The U.S. Economy

12. The U.S. economy is in a mid-cycle expansion.

(LPL Financial)

According to LPL Financial, the U.S. economy is in a mid-cycle expansion.

During the previous 30 mid-cycle years, the typical S&P 500 rise was 11.5 percent, with 80% of those years culminating in profits.

13. In the U.S., the energy sector overpowers inflation 71% of the time and delivers a 9% annual return.

(Hartford Funds)

Energy prices are a crucial component of the inflation picture, as sector earnings are closely linked to energy costs.

Sector earnings will also help reflect the inflation rate and offer a great insight into how corporations perform.

Based on past performance, energy companies beat inflation 7 out of 10 times, with an annual average return of 9%.

All of this, along with the fact that energy prices are highly correlated with inflation, makes it an ideal sector to watch.

14. Equity real estate investment combats inflation in 67% of cases and posts an average of 4.7% return.

(Hartford Funds )

Real estate investment is always one of the best ways to beat inflation.

While it might not seem like an ideal sector at the moment, Real estate investment trusts (REITs) offer an excellent opportunity for growth.

Backed by past performance, REITs show that they outperform inflation close to 7 out of 10 times, with an average annual return of 4.7%.

Understanding The Suitable Investment To Make

The above are just a few of the many investing statistics that can help us understand what’s to come.

It’s important to remember that the future is not set in stone and that investing is something one does with an amount of money that one might lose if things don’t go as planned.

As far as understanding how the economy is doing, it seems like U.S. equities will be the investments that make a big difference, but this might change quickly if inflation starts rising or earnings take a hit.

Forecasting economic growth is critical since knowing where things are potentially headed helps investors make better decisions about where to put their money.

A world equity market is also an excellent option for a real estate investment.

That being said, a suitable investment will always depend on several factors, and there’s no set answer to beat inflation or offer an advantage over other assets.

Keeping all this in mind will put future decisions in a better perspective, helping investors avoid mistakes.

While it might not be possible to say what will happen in the future, understanding past performance can give us an insight into where things are headed.

Stock exchanges

There are a variety of stock exchanges around the world.

The New York stock exchange (NYSE), NASDAQ, the United Kingdom’s London Stock Exchange (LSE), and Euronext are the most popular.

It’s also worth mentioning that non-western exchanges like the Singapore stock exchange, TSEC, or B3 in Brazil could benefit those looking to expand their reach worldwide.

For now, though, U.S. equity markets still offer a lot more than others and represent an excellent opportunity for investors worldwide.

Image Credit: Financesonline.com

Important Terms To Consider

When investing, various terms can help investors understand better how things work and what to expect.

Let’s look at some of these essential terms.

Investment term

The investment term refers to the time frame in which an investor chooses to invest their money, with more extended periods generally offering more profitable results than shorter ones.

Day Trader

A day trader buys and sells securities within the same trading session or market day.

Swing Trading

One can also consider a swing trader as someone who holds securities for 2-6 days (with sometimes up to two weeks), while both long-term and medium/long-term traders hold them for one year or more.

Usd Dollar-Cost Averaging

Another concept is dollar-cost averaging (DCA), which means investing the same amount on set intervals over the same period.

This approach allows investors to dollar average their buying power, taking advantage of dips by limiting their downside risk.

It’s a great way to invest one’s money, which can be a vital part of any long-term investment plan.

Short selling

Also known as shorting, it is the practice of borrowing shares from someone who wants to sell at the current market total value and price.

The hope is to sell them later to their original owner at a lower price to make money from the transaction.

Short sellers assume that stock prices have some degree of momentum and tend to move more in line with the fundamentals over time, so these traders often try to anticipate where a share or commodity will trade at a specific point in time during its future price path.

Consumer Price Index

The consumer price index (CPI) measures inflation to track changes in the average price level of consumer goods and services purchased by U.S. households.

It’s widely used as an indicator for one of the most important economic variables out there, namely inflation.

It also tracks consumers’ buying behavior, which can be beneficial when making any investment decision.

Economic Data Releases

Economic data releases are when governments, central banks, or private-sector research organizations ask survey respondents to release survey results on crucial market indicators like CPI, retail sales, or industrial production.

These reports often provide insight into future expectations and what to expect further down the road.

Mutual funds

A mutual fund is a professionally managed investment vehicle that pools money from many investors to purchase securities.

It invests in various securities such as stocks, bonds, or both as part of its targeted asset allocation plan and provides professional portfolio management.

ETFs

ETFs are investment funds that track an index, commodity, bond, or basket of assets like an index fund but trades like a stock on a stock exchange.

They can benefit those who want to make a simple diversified portfolio without looking at individual companies and their risks.

Types Of Markets

Whether the market is bullish or bearish is essential to understand, significantly more when investing long-term.

A bull market is a prolonged period of rising prices, while a bear market is one where the trend is downward over time with periodic sharp rises known as “bull traps” or “bear raids.”

The two types of markets have specific implications on how investors approach them and what they can expect in terms of optimal returns.

The market cap can also be helpful to assess how much influence a particular market participant has on the market.

For example, suppose one company accounts for 50% of the total supply in an industry.

In that case, it needs to be considered more than a company with a lower cap when making investment decisions.

Market capitalization is also used to determine a company’s or security’s size relative to an entire industry, subsector, or individual country.

The Role The Global Economy Plays

Whether you are interested in IRA retirement accounts, a savings account, exchange-traded funds, stock trading, or any other type of investment vehicle, the financial markets worldwide will always play a crucial role.

Governments and central banks participate through monetary policy, while financial institutions provide the necessary liquidity to keep things moving smoothly.

As all of these markets are intertwined, understanding what makes them tick is vital for investors who want to make good decisions over time.

Historical data shows that staying invested and holding on firmly to your investment strategy can help you achieve better results over time.

However, some strategies like those mentioned above may suit your needs more than others, depending on how comfortable you are with risk and choosing the right type of investments for your goals, preferences, and time horizon.

Previous financial crisis have also affected both investments and labor statistics which, in turn, can influence consumer spending and how we choose to save and spend our money.

Investing Statistics – FAQ

What Is The Dow Jones Industrial Average?

The Dow Jones Industrial Average, also known as the “Dow,” is a stock market index that shows how 30 large U.S. companies based in the industrial, transportation, and financial sectors are performing.

It is one of the most commonly cited benchmarks for investing for retirement savings or any other goal since it includes some of the biggest companies in the world.

What Is Fidelity Investments?

Fidelity Investments is a leading investment brokerage and retirement plan provider.

What Is The Difference Between Mutual Funds And ETFs?

While both types of vehicles pool investor assets to purchase securities, mutual funds can only be purchased through an intermediary such as a bank or broker, while ETFs can be bought and sold directly from their issuer, just like stocks.

Mutual funds are much more complex than ETFs since they can own significant stocks, bonds, cash, and other securities.

They require specialized skills to manage them well, which usually means extra investment fees.

Portfolio managers actively manage most mutual funds to beat the market average over time.

Are These Investment Statistics Accurate?

These surveys are conducted by companies such as Statista and Investopedia, which take their time when it comes to due diligence.

They also use information from other research firms, NGOs, think tanks, regulatory agencies, and government institutions to form these statistics.

All of this makes these statistics very accurate.

What Is Foreign Direct Investment?

It is an investment made by individuals or businesses to acquire lasting interests in enterprises operating outside the country of their ownership.

The market value of foreign direct investments can be measured by their flows, including new inflows and reinvested earnings.

What Are Subscriptions In Investment Banking?

Subscriptions refer to agreements in which many buyers commit to purchasing shares simultaneously, allowing companies to raise money quickly.

What Happens On Wall Street?

Wall Street refers to the financial district in New York City where securities exchanges, investment firms, and other financial institutions are headquartered.

What happens on Wall Street usually affects the rest of the world, especially regarding financial markets, asset prices, inflation rates, interest rates, and economic activity.

Wrap Up.

Understanding investing statistics is a simple way to understand better how the stock market works and improve your investing results.

Getting financial advisors to give you professional information is always a good idea, especially if you’re investing for the first time.

You can also use an investment company to manage your assets accordingly.

While the above investing statistics should not be used as investment advice, it’s an excellent strategy to keep them in mind before making any decisions.

Which has been the most interesting investing statistic to you? Are you currently invested in any stocks? Let me know in the comments below.

Further reading on AdamEnfroy.com: Want to learn how to invest your money in current trends? Here’s all you need to know about digital real estate and investing in NFTs of the future.

If you’re interested in investing for your retirement, have a look at best gold IRA companies and precious metals IRA companies right now.

Also, here is an article comparing and contrasting M1 Finance vs Robinhood. This will help you get started with your investment platform of choice.