The number of minors entering the stock market jumped 2.7 times, with a clear preference for diversified investing

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[The Financial News] As the stock market booms, more minors are entering the market, and a strong preference for diversified investing has emerged.
\r\nOn the 29th, Shinhan Securities Co., Ltd. said the number of securities accounts opened for minors in the first quarter rose 272% from a year earlier. The share opened through non-face-to-face channels reached 58.4%, showing a shift from branch visits to mobile account opening.
The average balance per minor account was about 10 million won. This suggests that parents are using accounts in their children's names not just for simple investment experience, but also as a tool for medium- to long-term asset management and financial education.
Minors showed a clear tendency toward long-term, diversified investing centered on exchange-traded funds (ETF). Rather than trading frequently, they tended to hold large-cap stocks and ETFs for extended periods.
By product type, minors' investment experience was concentrated in domestic stocks at about 52%, followed by overseas stocks at about 17% and other financial products. In overseas investing in particular, indirect investment through ETFs accounted for a relatively larger share than direct stock picking.
In domestic stocks, the most actively traded name among minors was Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. common shares. It was followed by TIGER U.S. S&P 500, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Preferred Shares, SK Hynix, and Samsung KODEX 200 ETF, indicating a preference for major blue-chip stocks and index-tracking ETFs.
Diversified investing was also evident in overseas stocks. Among the top traded names for minors were global leaders such as Tesla, Inc., Apple Inc. and Nvidia Corporation, along with U.S. index ETFs including Invesco QQQ Trust, State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO). This contrasts with parents, whose trading was relatively more concentrated in individual global big-tech names such as Nvidia Corporation, Tesla, Inc., Apple Inc. and Microsoft Corporation.
A Shinhan Securities Co., Ltd. official said, "We plan to build a Children's Asset Management Service to systematize investment experiences in which parents and children participate together." The official added, "We will continue expanding financial education content and global diversified investment services that guardians and children can use together."
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jisseo@fnnews.com Seo Min-ji Reporter