Value of household securities holdings hits new high

High of €35.1bn as of the end of March driven primarily by increasing market value of these holdings rather than an increase in transactions, new data from the Central Bank of Ireland shows

At the end of March, households held about €17.6bn of investments in fund shares, accounting for 50% of total household security holdings.

The value of Irish household securities holdings reached a new high of €35.1bn as of the end of March driven primarily by the increasing market value of these holdings rather than an increase in transactions, new data from the Central Bank of Ireland shows.

The data is collected by the Central Bank on a quarterly basis from resident institutional sectors and captures these sectors' investments in listed equities and bonds on a security-by-security basis.

This analysis focuses on households’ direct investment activities and the data do not incorporate any indirect household exposure to capital markets through insurance and pension arrangements.

As a result, the market value of Irish households’ holdings of securities totalled €35.1bn, a new all-time high, as of the end of March. Of this, €6.1bn billion is accounted for by households’ investment through foreign custodians, which is likely due to the growing popularity of online digital trading platforms, many of which are resident in other euro-area countries.

Throughout 2025, the market value of these securities holdings increased by €4bn, representing an annual increase of 15%. This was largely due to the increasing market value of these securities rather than the volume of transactions.

“Revaluations due to price movements were the primary driver of this increase, equating to €3.6bn or 90% of the increase recorded in the year,” the Central Bank said.

Money market and investment fund shares account for an increasing portion of households investments. At the end of March, households held about €17.6bn of investments in fund shares, accounting for 50% of total household security holdings.

Holdings of equity fund shares amount to €9bn. When considered alongside households' direct holdings of listed equity shares, €14.2bn, the estimated total household equity exposure is approximately €23.2bn.

Household holdings of exchange traded funds (ETFs) stood at €5.6bn.

About 44% of households holdings were issued by Irish-originated entities, with investment funds accounting for €7.3bn. Households’ direct holdings of Irish Government debt amounted to €1.6bn as of the end of March, with net purchases of Irish Government debt amounting to €649m since the start of 2025.

“Overall, Irish households exhibit a home bias in their investment portfolios, with 44% of holdings in Irish-originated securities; the sectoral composition of these holdings, however, varies significantly by issuer region,” the Central Bank said.

Irish investors in US-originated securities are predominantly issued by non-financial corporations (NFCs) which accounted for just over €4bn. The data shows a notable concentration in 'Magnificent Seven' technology stocks.

Households held €1.6bn in Mag Seven listed shares, accounting for 34% of all US-originated listed shares and 11% of households' total direct holdings of listed shares.

The Magnificent Seven is considered to include seven of the world's biggest tech companies: Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, Nvidia, and Tesla