Close to one in three (30%) UK based retail investors increased the value of shares they bought last year that are not listed on the London Stock Exchange.
The research from ETP provider GraniteShares found the US was the most popular foreign stockmarket, with 22% of investors increasing exposure, followed by European markets (16%) and Asian markets (14%).
These figures compared with just 21% of UK investors increasing exposure to their home stockmarket.
See more: Analysis: Are investors getting it wrong about the UK?
GraniteShares also found the trend looks set to continue this year, with 25% planning to boost their trading in US markets ahead of 22% for the UK.
Of those questioned, 41% of UK retail investors said they find it ‘relatively easy’ to trade foreign shares after research, but 29% still face issues when doing so. Around a third (30%) are not interested in trading foreign shares.
About two-fifths (36%) questioned believe they will trade more US stocks over the next two years as a result of the growing number of ETPs listed in London that enable investors to trade US and European stocks.
Catarina Donat Marques, head of European retail strategy at GraniteShares, said: “The major stock success stories of the past decade have been largely concentrated in the US and that is increasingly attracting the attention of retail traders in the UK who don’t want to miss out.”
See more: Will the ‘year of the snake’ be prosperous for investors in Chinese stocks?