Female investors are able to choose better performing stocks than men, it has been suggested.
Women are better at managing their equity investments than men, according to new research. A study carried out by DigitalLook.com revealed that over the last 12 months, as stock markets have displayed continued volatility, female private investors have suffered smaller losses than their male counterparts.
Indeed, while the investment portfolios of women have lost an average of three percent per share over the last year, those managed by men have declined by around 9.5 percent. This compares to a 13.4 percent drop in the FTSE All Share index during the period.
Previous studies conducted by DigitalLook.com in 2004 and 2005 also show that women achieved better returns on their equity investments than men when stock markets were rising.
Andy Yates, director of DigitalLook.com, said: "There are a lot of male traders that we know who will find it galling that women have continued to outperform men even in a fearsome bear market."
Speculating on why women appear to be better stock pickers than men, he said it is perhaps because female investors tend to put their money into shares that generate smaller, more regular profits. Men on the other hand tend to take on more risk in the hope of achieving bigger profits.
Today, the FTSE 100 fell again on opening amid concerns over the state of the economy. By 11:10 GMT, the index was down 1.56 percent.
