Women outperform men in Wealthyhood’s latest investor report

Bank of Cyprus partner Wealthyhood reports first-year investment trendsGreek retail investors are increasingly turning to stock markets with relatively small starting amounts and a long-term investment approach, according to a new report by Wealthyhood, the investment platform that partnered with the Bank of Cyprus to expand access to investing in Cyprus. The report, titled ‘Greek Investor Pulse 2026: The New Greek Investor‘, marks the first anniversary of Wealthyhood’s launch in Greece in October 2025 and draws on anonymised, aggregated data from more than 35,000 registered users. It found that the typical new investor is 34 years old and starts investing with €100, while more than eight in 10 investors are currently in profit. The findings also point to growing interest in domestic shares, with one in five investors now holding Greek stocks or exchange-traded funds (ETFs) following the introduction of Greek shares to the platform in July 2026. The report is also relevant to Cyprus, where Wealthyhood launched a co-branded investment platform with the Bank of Cyprus earlier this year, making investing available to residents regardless of whether they bank with the lender. The Wealthyhood x BoC platform subsequently introduced trading in Cypriot and Greek shares, allowing retail investors to access companies listed on the Cyprus Stock Exchange and Euronext Athens through a single application, with fractional investing available from €1. “We thank our clients for their trust in our first year in Greece, and we make a promise that our app will keep getting better, day by day, to make investing easy, affordable and safe for everyone,” said Alexandros Christodoulakis, co-founder and chief executive of Wealthyhood. Younger investors and broader participation The report describes an investor base spanning different age groups, regions and income brackets, consisting mainly of employees and self-employed professionals on everyday incomes. The median age is 34, with 34 per cent of investors under 30 and 31 per cent aged between 35 and 44. Women account for approximately one in six new investors, although their returns were higher than those of men, at 23.8 per cent against 20.9 per cent on an annual basis. Wealthyhood said increasing women’s participation remained one of the most important challenges for Greece’s investment market. The figures also suggest that investing is no longer confined to high earners, with 58 per cent of investors declaring annual incomes below €20,000. Around 66 per cent work full-time, while 17 per cent are self-employed. Geographically, investors using the platform live in 458 towns across 73 of Greece’s 74 regional units. Attica accounts for 51 per cent of investors, leaving 49 per cent living elsewhere in the country, while Thessaloniki follows with 11.7 per cent. Other cities with notable investor populations include Patras, Heraklion, Chania, Larissa and Volos. ETFs dominate first investments Exchange-traded funds are the most common starting point for new investors, with 56 per cent making an ETF their first investment. These funds provide exposure to a collection of stocks through a single investment, offering a way to diversify without buying each share individually. The most popular first investment is the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, which tracks the performance of 500 of the largest US companies and was chosen by 18 per cent of new Greek investors. The S&P 500 is also the most popular investment overall, while NVIDIA is the favourite individual stock across generations. Trading activity is concentrated around the opening of US markets, with the busiest hour falling between 5pm and 6pm, often after the working day. Weekdays account for 91 per cent of orders, compared with 9 per cent at weekends. Recommendations from friends also play a significant role in bringing new investors to the market, with 23 per cent saying they began investing following a referral. Greek shares gain ground Since Greek stocks became available on the platform in July, one in five investors has added Greek shares or ETFs to their portfolio. The report found that 21 per cent of every euro invested since July went into Greek stocks and ETFs, while Public Power Corporation (PPC) rose to become the eighth most popular stock of the year within just three months of the market becoming available. The findings suggest that access through a digital platform has encouraged investors to diversify beyond international markets and consider domestic companies. The report also examined investor behaviour during the March 2026 market sell-off, finding that users bought €1.82 for every €1 they sold. Almost half of Greek investors had not sold any of their investments, a finding Wealthyhood said pointed to a relatively long-term approach despite market volatility. Most investors in profit Overall, 82.8 per cent of investors were in profit, with an average annualised return of 21.1 per cent. The report also found that investors who traded less frequently achieved higher returns than those who made more frequent trades. Those making fewer moves and avoiding selling recorded annualised returns of 23.3 per cent, compared with 18.5 per cent among more active traders. Wealthyhood said five broad conclusions emerged from the first year of data, including wider access to investing, a long-term investment horizon, resilience during the March sell-off, growing interest in Greek shares and positive returns across much of its investor base. The findings indicate a gradual change in how Greek retail investors approach financial markets, with smaller initial investments, diversification through ETFs and increasing participation in domestic stocks. Wealthyhood said its aim was to contribute to public discussion about retail participation in capital markets, using real-world anonymised data to examine who invests, what they choose and how they react during periods of uncertainty.