Last updated: 17 October 2026 How much of Americans’ savings is riding on the stock market? The Federal Reserve’s Financial Accounts (Z.1) and Distributional Financial Accounts, both updated with Q2 2026 data, show a record, and who holds it.
Stocks made up 48.23% of US households’ financial assets in Q2 2026, the highest in 305 quarters of Federal Reserve data going back to 1945. That counts shares held directly and through funds and retirement accounts.
That beats the dot-com peak. In Q1 2000 the share was 38.71%, and at the end of 2021 it was 40.98%. It jumped from 44.66% in Q1 2026.
Ownership is concentrated. The wealthiest 1% held 50.9% of household corporate equities and mutual fund shares in Q2 2026, and the top 0.1% held 25.0%, a record for that group. The bottom half of households held 0.6%.
Under-40s hold 5.7% of household stocks, up from 3.6% at the end of 2019 but well below 10.6% in 1989. People aged 70 and over hold 40.5%.
Stocks as a share of household financial assets
| Quarter | Equities share of financial assets |
|---|---|
| Q2 2026 (latest) | 48.23% |
| Q1 2026 | 44.66% |
| Q4 2021 (post-pandemic high) | 40.98% |
| Q1 2000 (dot-com peak) | 38.71% |
| Q2 2007 | 33.51% |
| Q1 2009 (crisis low) | 19.03% |
| Q4 1945 (first reading) | 22.51% |
Directly and indirectly held corporate equities, including through mutual funds, pension and retirement accounts, as a percentage of all financial assets of households and nonprofit organisations. Financial assets exclude homes and other real estate.
Who owns the stock: share by wealth group
| Wealth group | Q3 1989 | Q1 2000 | Q4 2019 | Q2 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 0.1% | 14.6% | 20.1% | 22.1% | 25.0% |
| Next 0.9% (rest of top 1%) | 28.2% | 25.4% | 29.9% | 25.9% |
| Next 9% (90th–99th percentile) | 38.8% | 36.4% | 36.3% | 37.2% |
| Next 40% (50th–90th) | 17.2% | 16.8% | 11.1% | 11.4% |
| Bottom 50% | 1.1% | 1.3% | 0.6% | 0.6% |
Who owns the stock: share by age
| Age of household head | Q3 1989 | Q4 2019 | Q2 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 40 | 10.6% | 3.6% | 5.7% |
| 40–54 | 30.8% | 21.5% | 14.5% |
| 55–69 | 36.1% | 44.9% | 39.3% |
| 70 and over | 22.6% | 29.9% | 40.5% |
These shares cover corporate equities and mutual fund shares held directly by households; the Fed’s distributional accounts list pension entitlements separately.
How this connects to retail trading
A record share of wealth in stocks doesn’t mean more people own them: the Fed’s 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances found only 19.0% of families held stocks directly, with under-35s down sharply. Our SCF stock ownership page has the detail. For how many Europeans trade online, see online share trading in Europe, and for all our retail-trading figures in one place, the retail trading statistics roundup.
Sources
- Households and Nonprofit Organizations; Directly and Indirectly Held Corporate Equities as a Percentage of Financial Assets (BOGZ1FL153064486Q), Federal Reserve Z.1 Financial Accounts, via FRED. Retrieved 17 October 2026.
- Federal Reserve Distributional Financial Accounts, share of corporate equities and mutual fund shares by wealth percentile and age, data through 2026:Q2. Downloaded 17 October 2026.
Method
The headline share comes straight from the Fed series; we rank all 305 quarterly values. Distribution figures are the Fed’s published shares; the top 1% is the sum of the top 0.1% and the remaining top 1%.
Caveats
The Z.1 figure includes nonprofit organisations as well as households, and counts stocks held indirectly through pensions and funds.
The Fed revises both datasets when new source data arrive, so past quarters can change.
A high stock share partly reflects rising prices, not only new buying.
How to cite this
Prop Data Lab, “US Household Stock Allocation Record”, updated 17 October 2026, https://propdatalab.com/us-household-stock-allocation-record/
The table and the CSV are free to reuse under CC BY 4.0: copy, chart or republish them, commercial use included, as long as you link back to this page. Source data: Federal Reserve Board (US government work).
Common questions
What share of household financial assets is in stocks?
48.23% in Q2 2026, per the Federal Reserve's Financial Accounts (Z.1), the highest since the series began in 1945.
Is household stock exposure higher than in 2000?
Yes. The Q1 2000 dot-com peak was 38.71%; Q2 2026 is 48.23%.
How much stock do the top 1% own?
The top 1% by wealth held 50.9% of household corporate equities and mutual fund shares in Q2 2026, per the Fed's Distributional Financial Accounts. The bottom 50% held 0.6%.
How much stock do young Americans own?
Households headed by someone under 40 held 5.7% of household corporate equities and mutual fund shares in Q2 2026, against 10.6% in 1989.