Register For Our Mailing List

Register to receive our free weekly newsletter including editorials.

Home / 332

Young women are investing more in shares

While share ownership in Australia (and around the world) is dominated by men, there are encouraging signs that the wealth gap may close over time, as younger women start investing to build wealth. In a recent analysis by nabtrade, Gen Z women (the generation born between 1995 and 2015, following the Millennials) hold 20% larger portfolios than men of the same age.

Women's wealth traditionally held back

Demographic headwinds such as time out of the workforce to have children and lower average salaries have generally prevented women from accruing wealth at the same rate as men, resulting in a substantial wealth gap between the sexes in older generations.

In younger people, however, women are building portfolios through a combination of careful stock selection in large companies and much lower turnover rates than their male peers. This results in larger portfolios and lower transaction costs. In contrast, young men are more likely to hold stocks outside the S&P/ASX200 and to trade more frequently.

While women typically trade far less frequently than men across all age groups, they also trade in larger parcel sizes relative to their overall portfolio holdings. This aligns with global research since the 1990s, which suggests that men may be prone to overconfidence in their trading. Research shows men actively turn over their portfolios, which may reduce returns through excess transaction costs and imperfect market timing, while women place fewer trades and show greater commitment to their long-term investment strategies.

Stock selection

Individual shareholdings also differed between the genders across the generations, with women favouring staples such as Coles and Woolworths, as well as retailers including Harvey Norman. Women were also more likely to hold Bubs Australia and A2 Milk than their male counterparts.

nabtrade data showed women tend to stay with stocks and sectors that are familiar to them, meaning they are more likely to hold bank shares and less likely to invest in direct international shares than men across all age groups. While female investors showed a strong preference for ethical ETFs and were also much less likely to hold gambling and energy stocks than men, they were equally likely to hold one of the big miners.

Stock/Sector/Instrument Type

More likely to hold

Coles and Woolworths

Women

Retail sector

Women

Big Miners

Equal

Big Energy

Men

Gambling

Men

A2 Milk, Bubs Australia

Women

Domestic ETF

Women

International ETF

Men

Ethical ETF

Women

Differences between generations

While Gen Z women hold larger portfolios than their male counterparts, and Gen Y portfolios are of similar size between the sexes, female Baby Boomers hold just 56% of the portfolio size of men in the same age group. Gen X women hold portfolios nearly 78% the size of a man’s in the same age group.

These statistics paint a particularly dark picture of women’s economic wellbeing when couples commonly (and logically) choose to invest in the name of the lower-income earning spouse, typically the woman. Once accounting for this bias, the value of women’s overall holdings is further reduced.

The rise of online share trading and the proliferation of low-cost products such as ETFs has allowed young people of both genders to come to the share market at a younger age than previous generations, giving them a head start in wealth creation. As these investors grow in confidence and experience, it is hoped they will continue to invest for their future.

 

nabtrade is donating all brokerage on 27 November 2019 to help drought-affected farmers – find out more.

 

Gemma Dale is Director of SMSF and Investor Behaviour at nabtrade, a sponsor of Firstlinks. This material has been prepared as general information only, without reference to your objectives, financial situation or needs. For more nabtrade insights or to open an account, visit the website. You can also access Gemma’s weekly Your Wealth podcast on nabtrade, or via Apple podcasts, Spotify or Podbean.

For more articles and papers from nabtrade, please click here.

 

RELATED ARTICLES

How do women really invest?

Five lessons from the 'Witch' of Wall Street

Why women are most hurt by financial pandemic

banner

Most viewed in recent weeks

Raising the GST to 15%

Treasurer Jim Chalmers aims to tackle tax reform but faces challenges. Previous reviews struggled due to political sensitivities, highlighting the need for comprehensive and politically feasible change.

100 Aussies: seven charts on who earns, pays, and owns

The Labor government is talking up tax reform to lift Australia’s ailing economic growth. Before any changes are made, it’s important to know who pays tax, who owns assets, and how much people have in their super for retirement.

Here's what should replace the $3 million super tax

With Div. 296 looming, is there a smarter way to tax superannuation? This proposes a fairer, income-linked alternative that respects compounding, ensures predictability, and avoids taxing unrealised capital gains. 

9 winning investment strategies

There are many ways to invest in stocks, but some strategies are more effective than others. Here are nine tried and tested investment approaches - choosing one of these can improve your chances of reaching your financial goals.

Chinese steel - building a Sydney Harbour Bridge every 10 minutes

China's steel production, equivalent to building one Sydney Harbour Bridge every 10 minutes, has driven Australia's economic growth. With China's slowdown, what does this mean for Australia's economy and investments?

With markets near record highs, here's what you should do with your portfolio

Markets have weathered geopolitical turmoil, hitting near record highs. Investors face tough decisions on valuations, asset concentration, and strategic portfolio rebalancing for risk control and future returns.

Latest Updates

Retirement

The best way to get rich and retire early

This goes through the different options including shares, property and business ownership and declares a winner, as well as outlining the mindset needed to earn enough to never have to work again.

Shares

Boom, bubble or alarm?

After a stellar 2025 to date for equities, warning signs - from speculative froth to stretched valuations - suggest the market’s calm may be masking deeper fragilities. Strategic rebalancing feels increasingly timely.

Property

A perfect storm for housing affordability in Australia

Everyone has a theory as to why housing in Australia is so expensive. There are a lot of different factors at play, from skewed migration patterns to banking trends and housing's status as a national obsession.

Economy

Which generation had it toughest?

Each generation believes its economic challenges were uniquely tough - but what does the data say? A closer look reveals a more nuanced, complex story behind the generational hardship debate. 

Shares

Is the iPhone nearing its Blackberry moment?

Blackberry clung on to the superiority of keyboards at the beginning of the touchscreen era and paid the ultimate price. Could the rise of agentic AI and a new generation of hardware do something similar to Apple?

Fixed interest

Things may finally be turning for the bond market

The bond market is quietly regaining strength. As rate cuts loom and economic growth moderates, high-quality credit and global fixed income present renewed opportunities for investors seeking income and stability. 

Shares

The wisdom of buying absurdly expensive stocks (or not!)

Companies trading at over 10x revenue now account for over 20% of the MSCI World index, levels not seen since the dotcom bubble. Can these shares create lasting value, or are they destined to unravel?

Sponsors

Alliances

© 2025 Morningstar, Inc. All rights reserved.

Disclaimer
The data, research and opinions provided here are for information purposes; are not an offer to buy or sell a security; and are not warranted to be correct, complete or accurate. Morningstar, its affiliates, and third-party content providers are not responsible for any investment decisions, damages or losses resulting from, or related to, the data and analyses or their use. To the extent any content is general advice, it has been prepared for clients of Morningstar Australasia Pty Ltd (ABN: 95 090 665 544, AFSL: 240892), without reference to your financial objectives, situation or needs. For more information refer to our Financial Services Guide. You should consider the advice in light of these matters and if applicable, the relevant Product Disclosure Statement before making any decision to invest. Past performance does not necessarily indicate a financial product’s future performance. To obtain advice tailored to your situation, contact a professional financial adviser. Articles are current as at date of publication.
This website contains information and opinions provided by third parties. Inclusion of this information does not necessarily represent Morningstar’s positions, strategies or opinions and should not be considered an endorsement by Morningstar.