The idea that younger investors embrace technology while older ones play it safe is not supported by data, according to the latest UAE Retail Investor Beat survey from eToro, which compared investors aged 18 to 34 with those aged 35 to 62.
The survey found that 39 per cent of younger investors use social media for financial advice – a figure matched by 38 per cent of older investors.
On the question of artificial intelligence, 76 per cent of younger investors have acted on a recommendation from an AI engine, compared with 75 per cent of older investors.
Both figures have risen from August 2025, when eToro last conducted the survey, indicating that adoption of these tools has spread across both age groups rather than remaining the preserve of younger investors.
In terms of where investors seek guidance, older investors are more likely to turn to online platforms or brokers, with 57 per cent doing so compared with 52 per cent of younger investors.
Younger investors, meanwhile, show a preference for consulting family, friends, colleagues and industry peers, with 67 per cent reporting this approach compared with 60 per cent of older investors.
Older investors show higher crypto and commodities exposure
One of the more counter-intuitive findings concerns asset allocation. Older investors report higher exposure to crypto at 56 per cent, compared with 53 per cent of younger investors.
They also hold more commodities, at 61 per cent against 52 per cent, and more cash, at 50 per cent against 46 per cent. Allocations to equities and bonds are broadly equal between the two groups.
This points to what analysts describe as a “barbelled” approach among older investors, who appear to be pairing assets with higher risk profiles alongside those with lower volatility, rather than retreating from markets altogether.
The three most popular sectors are the same for both groups – financial services, real estate, and energy – but the weighting differs. Younger investors show a preference for technology, with 36 per cent invested in the sector compared with 32 per cent of older investors, as well as healthcare at 26 per cent versus 23 per cent, and renewables at 26 per cent versus 24 per cent.
Older investors, by contrast, show higher allocations to energy at 42 per cent compared with 38 per cent, financial services at 51 per cent versus 48 per cent, and mining at 28 per cent versus 26 per cent.
Josh Gilbert, Market Analyst at eToro, said that “as they are earlier on in their investment journey, naturally younger investors are more likely to plan to invest in a wider array of sectors in the future to keep diversifying their portfolio. The sector they are most likely to invest in within the next three months is renewables (45 per cent), while for older investors it is communications (40 per cent).
Financial Independence Tops the Goals for Both Groups
The top three investing goals are shared across age groups: achieving financial independence, supplementing income, and providing long-term security. Beyond this, the data reveals some divergence.
Older investors are more likely to invest to beat inflation, with 27 per cent giving this as a motivation compared with 23 per cent of younger investors, and are also more likely to be supplementing income at 52 per cent versus 44 per cent.
Younger investors are more likely to report investing for reasons that include enjoyment at 15 per cent against 11 per cent, the aim to retire early at 19 per cent versus 15 per cent, and the goal of generating capital for a future payment at 28 per cent compared with 25%.
Both groups are increasing their exposure to markets. Over the past three months, 59 per cent of younger investors increased contributions to their portfolios, compared with 55 per cent of older investors.
Looking ahead, 68 per cent of younger investors plan to increase contributions in the next three months, against 62 per cent of older investors. A small proportion of each group – 9 per cent of younger investors and 8 per cent of older investors – reduced portfolio values over the period, against a backdrop of geopolitical pressures in the region.
The survey data challenges received wisdom about how age shapes investor behaviour. The assumption that social media, AI, and crypto are the territory of younger investors is not borne out by the numbers. Equally, the characterisation of older investors as risk-averse does not hold when their allocation data is examined.
What the data does show is that investors at every stage of their journey are increasing exposure to markets despite conditions that have included geopolitical uncertainty, fluctuating interest rate expectations, and periods of market volatility. As Gilbert’s analysis suggests, age shapes investment behaviour in ways that resist simple generalisation – both groups are adapting to a digital and diversified investment environment, but through different choices and with different priorities.
