Q4 shareholding pie: Retail investors flee choppy waters

The March quarter was a rollercoaster for Indian equities: a historic February low gave way to a tentative March rebound. Against a backdrop of global uncertainty, however, investor actions showed a divided house.

- Mayur Bhalerao

Retail investors slashed their holdings as on 31 March, marking the steepest pullback among all investor categories, a Mint analysis of 3,315 BSE-listed firms reveals. The shift reflects a growing caution after outsized gains in 2024, with profit-booking and repositioning driven by rising global and domestic headwinds.

During the September and December quarters, retail investors—individuals owning shares worth up to ₹2 lakh—pruned their holdings in 49.6% of the firms in which they held stakes (1,645 companies) while increasing their holdings in nearly 43%. This marked the most pronounced shift among investor classes.