‘Martini share dealers’ take advantage of online freedom

New research reveals the 21st century share dealer is a far cry from the much-hyped day trader of the late 90s. In contrast, the survey of more than a thousand online investors by share dealing expert Alliance Trust shows that, these days, self-directed investors take advantage of the freedom to trade “anytime, anyplace” and are a more laid-back breed than their day trading predecessors.

Anytime …

Nearly two in five (39%) online share dealers say they check and make changes to their portfolio anytime it suits them. One in three (30%) say they trade during the daytime, while over a quarter (27%) confess to being ‘moonlight traders’, choosing to manage their portfolios mostly in the evenings and at night. At the other end of the clock, one in six (17%) claim to be early-riser traders, reviewing and tweaking their investment portfolios ahead of market opening.

Anyplace …

In contrast to the image of the day trader hunched over his PC, ready to react to the slightest market movements, today’s traders take a more relaxed approach. One third (33%) listen to music while trading and almost as many (29%) enjoy a drink while buying and selling their shares.

And with the emergence of wireless internet, it seems share dealers are becoming more and more adventurous when choosing a location to carry out their online trades. 14% of ‘the internet’ generation (25-34-year-olds) are indulging in the freedom to invest from the comfort of their bed (national average: 6%), while 8% of middle aged traders (45-54-year-olds) are used to making their decisions on the move (national average: 5%).

Claudia Philips, Managing Director of Investment Dealing at Alliance Trust, comments: “Most of the UK population now has internet access, with many having wireless connections, and this online revolution has definitely converted huge numbers of everyday investors. This means the average profile of today’s online share dealer is quite remote from the image of the day trader which became popular in the late 90s. There are many advantages to managing your stocks and shares online and, as our research shows, it is important for today’s share dealers to be able to trade wherever and whenever they want.

“These online dealing trends are in line with today’s lifestyles as people become increasingly self-directed in managing their investments and those of their families and providing for their future. We expect to see more and more online share dealers take advantage of the freedom to trade anytime, anyplace.”