Over a fifth (21%) of retail investors have switched money from equities to cash in 2025 in response to global stock market volatility, Investec Save has found.

The firm’s latest research revealed that the same proportion of investors plan to do so in the next three months.

Global stock markets have seen shifts across the year due to rising geopolitical tensions, international trade policies and general economic uncertainty.

Although the FTSE 100 has risen in the year to date, the S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average, Nasdaq Composite, Nikkei and Shanghai Composite are among the indices that have fallen.

As a result, investors have pulled money out of equities and reverted to using cash savings accounts, with 9% stating that they have moved more than £1,000 from stocks and shares into cash savings accounts.

Head of savings at Investec Bank, David Hunt, believes that this trend of investors making changes to the way they store their money is not likely to end any time soon.

He said: "With global stock markets having a turbulent 2025, many investors are moving their money to safer cash accounts providing more predictable returns. This rush to cash shows no signs of stopping. With investment returns so unpredictable, our research shows that large numbers of investors will continue to seek out trusted, reliable places to store and grow their hard-earned wealth."

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