adults owned stock in April 2026, a slight decline from 2025 but higher than 2013, per Motley Fool and Gallup data.
Motley Fool research combined with Gallup polls reports that 58% of American adults owned stock as of April 2026. This marks a modest drop from 62% in 2025, but continues an upward trend from 52% in 2013 and reflects a near‑doubling of ownership since the 1980s. The same research notes that stock ownership is highly concentrated: the wealthiest 1% of Americans hold about 50% of all stocks, while the top 10% control roughly 87% of stock‑market wealth. The article highlights exchange‑traded funds as the most common vehicle for individual investors, citing the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) as a low‑cost option that provides exposure to the 500 largest U.S. companies with a 0.03% expense ratio. The piece suggests that broader public ownership is viewed as a positive sign for the long‑term market and personal wealth building, while also acknowledging that stock returns are not guaranteed and that reporting is limited to the cited surveys.