Investor confidence remains low as concerns over UK stock market grow

Boring Money’s Investor Confidence Index remained at 46 in September. This means it has yet to recover after falling 6% from 52 to 46 in August.

Confidence in the UK and investors’ personal finances improved slightly over the month.

• Net sentiment towards the UK economy rose from -33.4 in August to -28.4 in September

• Sentiment towards personal finances rose from 28.4 to 31

• However, sentiment towards the UK stock market moved in the opposite direction, falling from 11.4 to 3.6.

22% of fund investors made changes to their investments in September, in line with the proportion seen over the previous three months. Of those who made changes, 21% reduced their exposure to equities, up from 12% in August.

Boring Money CEO Holly Mackay comments: “Miserable headlines and pain at the pump are taking their toll and investor confidence remains low. Investors are taking money out of funds and also feel bearish about the UK stock market. Bond markets are taking a pummelling but there are signs that the UK economy remains resilient and so providers need to work harder to talk to their customers and present a more positive picture than the main media narrative at the moment.”

The Boring Money Investor Confidence Index is published monthly and tracks sentiment among UK fund investors aged 18 and over across four measures: the investor’s personal financial situation, the UK economy, and the outlook for both global stock markets and the FTSE 100. The index has been tracked quarterly since 2020, with a sample size of between 1,500 and 1,614 respondents per quarter. The Index began in April 2026, with sample sizes of 500+ each month.