- Investors are acting despite geopolitical risk becoming their biggest portfolio worry
- Retail investors are buying the dip earlier than they were a year ago
- Fewer investors are holding out for a full-blown crash before buying in
- Long-term conviction, not a quick rebound, is the top reason investors buy dips
August 5, 2026 – Retail investors are getting bolder about buying market dips, even as geopolitical tension becomes their biggest portfolio worry, according to the latest quarterly Retail Investor Beat from trading and investing platform etoro. The study, which surveyed 11,000 retail investors across 13 countries, found that investors increasingly need only a modest market pullback before buying.
A decline of 5–10% is now virtually tied with an 11–20% correction as the most common trigger to buy, reflecting a shift towards acting earlier. Some 26% of investors would buy after a 5-10% decline, up from 22% a year ago, compared with 25% who would wait for an 11-20% correction, a figure that has remained broadly unchanged. Meanwhile, the proportion waiting for a drop of more than 20% has fallen from 13% to 11%. Overall, more than two-thirds of retail investors (68%) say some level of market decline would prompt them to buy.
Commenting on the data, etoro’s Global Market Strategist Lale Akoner said: “Retail investors have long viewed market pullbacks as buying opportunities. What has changed is the threshold for putting capital to work. Investors are becoming more comfortable adding risk during ordinary market corrections rather than waiting for periods of extreme stress.
That suggests confidence in the longer-term investment outlook has strengthened. Instead of trying to identify the exact bottom, more investors appear willing to build positions gradually as valuations become more attractive. That is generally a more disciplined approach than trying to time a market capitulation.”
Long-term conviction, not just a quick rebound
Investors buying the dip aren’t chasing a quick bounce. When asked about their reason for buying the dip, 41% say they’re investing for the long term and 38% point to lower valuations, well ahead of the 27% hoping for a short-term rebound. Around one in four cite strong company fundamentals (24%) or a disciplined strategy (23%). Around one in five cite adding to existing positions, lowering the average cost of their investments or believing that the market is overreacting, at 22% each.
The shift toward smaller dips is sharpest among millennials: the share buying at 5-10% has jumped from 26% to 32% in a year, while those waiting for a 20%+ fall has dropped from 14% to 10%. Gen X shows a similar pattern, with 21% to 26% buying at 5–10%, and 13% to 12% waiting for a deeper fall.
Lale Akoner added: “The generational data suggests younger investors are becoming more comfortable averaging into weakness rather than waiting for a single buying opportunity. That reflects a longer investment horizon as much as greater confidence.
Investors who expect to be in the market for decades are often less concerned about identifying the precise bottom and more focused on accumulating quality assets at better prices. That mindset is consistent with long-term portfolio building rather than short-term trading.”
Acting earlier, not ignoring the risks
The shift comes as geopolitical risk becomes investors’ top concern: 23% now cite international conflict as the biggest external threat to their portfolios, up from 19% a year ago, overtaking worries about a global recession (down from 26% to 21%).
Elevated interest rates haven’t triggered a retreat either. The majority (51%) of retail investors say the rate environment has not changed their investing plans, while 22% plan to invest more and 20% plan to invest less.
Lale Akoner commented: “What stands out is that geopolitical risk has become the biggest concern without causing investors to abandon their investment plans. That suggests investors increasingly distinguish between uncertainty and a deterioration in long-term fundamentals.
Markets have repeatedly shown that geopolitical events can create sharp volatility, but they do not always alter the long-term investment case. Retail investors appear increasingly willing to use those periods of uncertainty to add selectively, rather than treating every geopolitical shock as a reason to reduce risk.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
The latest Retail Investor Beat was based on a survey of 11,000 retail investors across 13 countries and 3 continents. The following countries had 1,000 respondents: UK, US, Germany, France, Australia, Singapore, Italy and Spain. The following countries had 600 respondents: Netherlands, Denmark, Poland, Romania, and the Czech Republic.
The survey was conducted from 14 – 29 May 2026 and carried out by research company Opinium. Retail investors were defined as self-directed or advised and had to hold at least one investment product including shares, bonds, funds, investment ISAs or equivalent. They did not need to be etoro users.
The figures and results presented in this survey are based on the responses of participants at the time the survey was conducted. They reflect responders’ opinions, views and perceptions and should not be interpreted as investment advice or a guarantee of future performance. Percentages and results may not be representative of the broader population and are subject to change as market conditions and sentiment evolve.
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