PRIVATE investors have confounded their image of following yesterday’s fashion in 2005. The low-rated shares of high street banks were by far the most popular sector for active investors, most of whom ignored the latest fashionable energy or media newcomers.
Records of trades kept by TD Waterhouse, a leading low-cost stockbroker, show that Lloyds TSB, whose shares carry a higher dividend yield than any other blue chip, had the most buy orders of any share. Yet it also accounted for the second-biggest number of sales.
Barclays was the fourth- favourite buy and third-favourite sell. Royal Bank of Scotland was the No 6 buy. Bank shares had a strong final two months of the year, but over the year as a whole lagged well behind market indices.
Vodafone, which was the most frequent sell and the second most popular buy, also lagged the market average.
PartyGaming, whose shares have been 50 per cent higher and 40 per cent lower than their launch since June, has been the most popular trading stock since launch.
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