According to Switzer Financial Group, “Millennial madness” is the reason for recent increases to both the ASX and US stock market, despite COVID-19 cases still rising the world over.
Peter Switzer said, “This oddity is explained by professional fund managers as the silly behaviour of Millennials as they get too engrossed in the stock market.”
Only 10 per cent of Australian Millennials actually invest in funds, according to a 2019 Calastone study – but more than three-quarters of those surveyed did indicate they plan to invest in the future.
Mr Switzer said there’s a newfound stock market appeal: “Term deposits are hopeless. People can’t buy homes. So, they’re looking to the stock market as an alternative to build wealth.”
Pengana Capital’s Rhett Kessler agrees: “Before it was the Belgian dentists. Then it was the New York taxi driver that you got your stock tips from. Now it’s the Millennials.”
Amid current uncertainty, Mr Kessler conceded, “Everybody is having a punt.”
But he warned that “this is not a time for embracing risk”.
Roger Montgomery of Montgomery Investment Management is also of the opinion that Millennials are “pretty responsible” for current market swings.
He flagged a United States example to add to his point: Hertz.
After declaring bankruptcy back in May, the car rental’s share price went up fivefold.
“People were punting on the equity not realizing that the equity and the capital structure is the last to be repaid,” Mr Montgomery explained.
“The speculation in the stock after they announced Chapter 11 bankruptcy just shows you how uninformed traders are at the moment.”
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