A new survey published by Pew Research Center showed that the majority of households in the United States are invested in the stock market.
The data, taken from the 2016 Survey of Consumer Finances, detailed just how broad stock market investment is in the U.S. Based on analysis, 52% of U.S. households have some form of investment in the stock market, while only 14% are directly invested in individual stocks.
“Participation in the stock market varies considerably across demographic groups,” according to the survey.
In the survey, researchers found that 52% of households are invested in the stock market in some way, with $40,000 considered the median income. The highest percentage of investments in the market were seen in households with a median holding of over $100,000.
Among the age groups of older adults, for instance the 45-64 group, more direct or indirect investments in the stock market was determined. Additionally, white adults were more likely than black or Hispanics to invest in the stock market, the survey also concluded.
“Families headed by white adults are more likely than those headed by black or Hispanic adults to be invested in the stock market. A majority (61%) of non-Hispanic white households own some stock, compared with 31% of non-Hispanic black and 28% of Hispanic households.”
“Uncertainty driven by the current coronavirus outbreak has caused the U.S. stock market to wipe away three years of gains in a matter of weeks,” the survey added.
Pew Research Center is a US-based nonpartisan think tank devoted to public opinion polling, demographic analysis, and social science research.
