2024 was a year of both challenges and changes. In the UK, it was a time of slow economic growth , persistent inflation, and new policies as the government worked to tackle a mix of domestic and international issues.
Despite these challenges, confidence in the UK stock market rose at the end of the year, to 73, up 6 points on the previous month, according to the HL Investor Confidence survey.
Looking further afield, investor confidence in markets seems more challenged. There’s been a significant drop for European stock markets, down 20 to 55 points, but also in Asia Pacific, down 12 to 103 points, and Global Emerging markets, down 7 to 106 points. Even investors’ darling North American equities has dropped slightly, down 1 point month-on-month to 116. HL Investor Confidence Index is compiled by surveying 6,000 HL clients randomly on a monthly basis.
Read on to discover the most bought shares by HL's clients in 2024.
This article has been written independently of our investment research team to offer some inspiration but isn't personal advice or a guide on how or where to invest. You should choose investments based on your own objectives and attitude to risk. If you're not sure whether an investment is right for you, ask for financial advice. The value of investments, and any income from them, rise and fall so you can get back less than you put in.
The list below shows the most bought FTSE 350 shares by number of trades (buys minus sales) by HL’s clients in 2024.
Information correct as at 2 January 2025. Includes trades places through monthly direct debit.
Investing in an individual company isn’t right for everyone because if that company fails, you could lose your whole investment. If you cannot afford this, investing in a single company might not be right for you. You should make sure you understand the companies you’re investing in and their specific risks and be investing for the long term (five years or more).
If you're looking for inspiration from our investment research team, take a look at their selection of five shares they believe have potential for 2025 and beyond. Or sign-up to our share insight newsletter to have the latest share research direct to your inbox.
How to pick investments for 2025?
Read some snippets from our inhouse team on their thoughts when considering investments for 2025.
Predicting the future can be incredibly tricky. Don't double down on yesterday's winners. Don't get scared out of markets by the sirens predicting the next great depression. Understand that investing offers you a long-term return above cash - in return for accepting the risk of losing money in the shorter term. So stay invested but diversify across different sources of risk and return.
With around 55,000 listed equities globally across every conceivable sector it’s impossible to know everything about everything. So, it’s important to seek expert opinion if there are knowledge gaps to be filled.
It also helps to add context to an investment case. For example, the strapline ‘most profitable coal mine in the world’ may sound appealing. But if coal is going out of fashion, then perhaps that’s not a pool to be fishing in. If after you’ve heard it a few times and you still have a nagging doubt, stick with your gut feel.
The Magnificent Seven look set to continue to exert huge influence. The tech giants are on a wave of enthusiasm for the potential AI presents and also expectations of lighter-touch regulation with President Trump returning to the White House in January. As with most new innovations, it’s still set to be a bumpy road ahead and some promises might not live up to their hype. It’s important to look for companies with real-world applications and a proven track record and keep an eye on emerging regulatory and supply chain trends.