Evraz, Lloyds Banking Group and BP have been popular buys among UK investors over the past week.
So, which other shares have UK investors been keen to get hold of recently? And which shares have investors been selling? Let’s explore.
[top_pitch]
What’s happened to the stock market recently?
It’s safe to say that it’s been a turbulent week for the stock market. On 24 February, the FTSE 100 fell by more than 3% due to investor fears surrounding the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.
This means the UK’s largest share index is now down over 3.5% since the start of the week. It’s also officially in the red compared to a month ago, despite a very promising start to February.
So, with stocks tumbling, how are individual UK investors reacting in terms of their stock picks?
What shares have UK investors been buying recently?
According to Hargreaves Lansdown, these are the top 10 shares its UK clients have been buying recently (in terms of the number of deals placed):
- Evraz plc
- Lloyds Banking Group plc
- Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust plc
- BP plc
- International Consolidated Airlines Group SA
- Legal & General Group plc
- Premier African Minerals Limited
- Barclays plc
- Rolls Royce Holdings plc
- easyJet plc
Most popular shares: a closer look
Let’s take a look in more detail at three of the most popular shares to buy last week.
1. Evraz plc
Evraz plc was the most popular share to buy among UK investors last week. Buys in the British mining company accounted for 2.28% of all Hargreaves Lansdown trades. Despite being based in London, the company undertakes the majority of its operations in Russia and Ukraine. As a result, recent conflict in this region has sent its share price plummeting.
On Thursday 24 February, when news broke that Russia had officially invaded Ukraine, Evraz’s share price fell by a colossal 25%. Since the turn of the year, the company’s share price is down a whopping 70%.
Yet despite the ongoing crisis in Eastern Europe, Evraz’s position at the top of last week’s list shows that many UK investors believe its share price can recover.
2. Lloyds Banking Group plc
The second most popular share to buy among UK investors last week was Lloyds Banking Group. It accounted for 2.17% of last week’s share buys. Lloyds often features on the list of most-bought shares, with investors seemingly attracted by its volatile performance.
Lloyds shares have dropped by almost 5% since the turn of the year. Yet the banking giant did have a stellar 2021. Last year, Lloyds saw its share price climb an impressive 25%.
3. Barclays plc
Another notable appearance on last week’s list is Barclays plc, which accounted for 1.01% of last week’s buys. The bank has seen its share price slump by more than 6.5% since the start of 2022.
In a similar fashion to its rival, Lloyds, Barclays enjoyed a very strong 2021, so many UK investors will be hoping the bank will enjoy a similar performance for the rest of 2022.
[middle_pitch]
What shares have UK investors been selling recently?
These are the 10 shares that UK investors were selling last week:
- International Consolidated Airlines Group SA
- Premier African Minerals Limited
- BP plc
- Lloyds Banking Group plc
- Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust plc
- Rolls Royce Holdings plc
- easyJet plc
- Shell plc
- Vodafone Group plc
- Glencore plc
As we can see from the list above, International Consolidated Airlines Group was the most popular share to sell last week. The owner of British Airways has had a torrid start to the year, with its share price down by more than 8.5%. That’s despite 2022 being seen as the year when the airline industry will grow as the world starts to move on from the pandemic. Investors clearly aren’t convinced!
Meanwhile, BP plc has had a healthy start to the year with its share price up almost 6%. Yet its appearance on this list suggests many investors feel that its share price won’t continue on this trajectory.
On a similar note, Shell plc was a popular stock to sell last week. The oil giant has also had a strong 2022, with its price up over 17%, so investors may be fearful that this performance won’t continue.
What do you need to know about investing?
It can be interesting to see which stocks have been popular to both buy and sell. That’s because it can tell us which stocks investors feel are undervalued or overvalued.
However, always bear in mind that past performance shouldn’t be used as an indicator of future results. Always do your own research if you choose to invest.
If you are looking to invest, then take a look at The Motley Fool’s top-rated share dealing accounts to get you started.
