(image: KobizMedia/ Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, July 20 (Korea Bizwire) — Three in 10 South Korean adults have invested in stock funds, with an average investment of close to 40 million won (US$30,480), a poll showed Tuesday.
The Korea Financial Investors Protection Foundation conducted a survey of 2,500 adults between 25 and 64 years of age, 28 percent of whom said they had invested in equity funds, which was 6.4 percentage points higher than last year.
On average, each individual had invested 39.4 million won in 2.7 different funds.
The average duration of investment, based on ordinary funds invested in most recently, stood at 38.7 months.
As for the reason for investing in stock investment funds, 44.5 percent believed they are highly profitable.
Others wanted to diversify their investments (28 percent) and felt that funds are a highly stable mode of investment (17.8 percent).
At 56.5 percent, more than half of equity fund investors in their 60s believed them to be highly profitable, easily surpassing investors in their twenties (29.6 percent).
Among the respondents, 44.3 percent earned information about stock funds from financial services companies, followed by the internet (18.1 percent) and other acquaintances (15.5 percent).
“Older investors tend to get their information about stock funds from financial companies,” the foundation said.
“They are more likely to investing in stock funds when financial services companies persuade them about the fund’s high profitability and stability.”
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
