The data collated for the first six months of 2025 shows that SMSFs also invested with banks such as Macquarie and Westpac, and industrials such as CSL, coupled with a wide range of ETFs.
Chris Hill, national manager of strategic relationships at AUSIEX, said there was also increased overseas investor activity in Australia, with some large institutions, particularly from the US, buying local stocks.
Hill continued that despite the strong growth in the Commonwealth Bank (CBA) share price, the most bought stock by retail investors over the first six months of this calendar year was BHP (as at 30 June 2025).
Data from AUSIEX shows the top buy trades by retail investors were BHP, Fortescue, Woodside Energy, Pilbara Minerals and Appen in the past six months.
Additionally, the most sold stocks by this cohort over the first half year included Westpac, Commonwealth Bank, Fortescue, and Appen. This saw retail investors’ largest portfolio holdings at financial year end as Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, National Australia Bank, BHP and Wesfarmers.
By contrast, the most bought stocks by advised investors over the first six months of this calendar year were Woodside, followed by BHP, CSL, Macquarie and Westpac, with the most sold stocks being Commonwealth Bank, Telstra, Woolworths and Fortescue.
The top stock holdings of advised investors are currently Commonwealth Bank, Wesfarmers, BHP, Westpac and National Australia Bank, Hill noted.
“During the past financial year individual retail investors tended to buy mining stocks, taking profits in some bank stocks,” he said.
“In stark contrast, advisers relied on a handful of blue chips and a broad range of exchange traded funds to build clients’ portfolios in the first half of 2025. The latter included Australian stock indexes, US and European indices as well as fixed income ETFS.”
Hill also said that the volume of trading by advised investors in the second half of the past financial year was down nine per cent compared to the second half of the 2024 calendar year, as these investors tended to hold stocks and trade less.
By contrast, the number of their ETF trades was up over 30 per cent compared with the first six months of 2024.
Advised SMSFs accounts – top 10 buys of first half of 2025:
· Woodside
· BHP
· CSL
· Westpac
· Telstra
· VanEck MSCI International Quality (Hedged) ETF
· Wesfarmers
· VanEck S&P/ASX MidCap ETF
· APA Group
· Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF
· VanEck Australian Equal Weight ETF
· Metrics Mast Income Trust
· Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF
· Transurban
· Vanguard Australian Shares High Yield ETF
· Commonwealth Bank
· Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares (Hedged) ETF
· Betashares Australian Hybrids Active ETD
· VanEck Australian Subordinated Debt ETF
· Betashares Australian Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF
Most sold included Brambles, ASX, Macquarie Group, Magellan Global Fund, Xero and the Magellan Infrastructure Fund (Hedged).
Top current holdings include Commonwealth Bank, National Australia Bank, Wesfarmers, Westpac, and BHP.
Advised SMSFs accounts over $3m – top 10 buys of first half of 2025
· Woodside
· BHP
· CSL
· VanEck S&P/ASX MidCap ETF
· VanEck MSCI International Quality (Hedged) ETF
· Westpac
· Global X Euro STOXX 50 ETF
· iShares S&P 500 AUD ETF
· Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF
· VanEck Australian Subordinated Debt ETF
Most sold included Commonwealth Bank, Wesfarmers, Telstra, Endeavour Group, ASX, National Australia Bank, Magellan Global Fund, APA Group, Transurban, Fortescue, WAM Leaders and Xero among others.
