ETF trading hits record high among Belgian retail investors 

Belgian retail investors are embracing exchange-traded funds (ETFs) at record levels, according to new figures from the Financial Services and Markets Authority (FSMA). In the fourth quarter of 2024, 76,000 Belgians traded ETFs - ​ the highest number ever recorded. It marks a nearly 25 per cent increase from the previous quarter.

The surge in ETF activity reflects a broader shift in retail investing habits. ETF transactions rose by over 80 per cent year-on-year to 207,000 in Q4, outpacing growth in stocks and bonds. 

ETFs are also gaining traction among first-time investors: of the Belgians who entered the market in Q4, around 19,000 chose ETFs as part of their first trade. This underscores their growing role as a gateway to capital markets.

The FSMA’s quarterly Retail Investor Dashboard also shows that Belgian retail investors carried out over one million equity transactions in Q4. Geographically, over 40 per cent of the total value traded was in North American stocks - the highest share in five years - while the share of Belgian and European equities reached a multi-year low.

^{Euronext Brussels Stock Exchange © BELGA PHOTO HATIM KAGHAT}