Finance News

Story: Energy Stocks Surge as Retail Investors Dump Consumer Names

By James Thorp

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Commodities Rally Drives Interest. Freeport-McMoRan's holder count jumped 43%. Gold and copper demand basically exploded during the…

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Tech Giants Hold Their Ground. The most widely held stocks didn't change much at the top.

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Retail investors dumped consumer stocks and piled into energy names during the first quarter of 2026, according to fresh data from eToro.

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Chevron led the pack with a massive 60% jump in retail holders. The oil giant benefited from U.S.

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Freeport-McMoRan's holder count jumped 43%. Gold and copper demand basically exploded during the quarter, pushing mining stocks higher across the board.

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But some names got crushed. BioMarin Pharmaceutical lost 25% of its retail holders, while cybersecurity firm Okta dropped 22%.

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"We're seeing a structural shift toward assets with pricing power and limited supply," said Lale Akoner, eToro's Global Market Strategist.

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The most widely held stocks didn't change much at the top. NVIDIA stayed number one, with Tesla and Amazon right behind.

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Alphabet pretty much stayed put in the rankings. That's kind of surprising given all the AI hype, but retail investors seem content with their Google positions.

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Akoner said fears of a "SaaSpocalypse" haven't killed software interest. Instead, retail investors are getting pickier, focusing on companies that can either build AI tools or…

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The energy sector's comeback caught many by surprise. Chevron's massive gain came as Iran tensions pushed oil prices higher and U.S.

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USA Rare Earth's surge reflects growing concerns about supply chain security. The company mines critical minerals needed for everything from electric vehicles to defense systems.

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Mining stocks across the board benefited from commodity price increases. Freeport-McMoRan's copper operations looked especially attractive as infrastructure spending picked up…

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Consumer stocks faced multiple headwinds during the quarter. Under Armour struggled with inventory issues and weak athletic wear demand.

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The defense sector's gains reflected broader geopolitical tensions. AeroVironment makes drones and other military equipment that's seeing increased demand from government…

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