Stock market year performing better than expected
Nearly half of investors (47%) feel that the stock market year has performed better than expected so far. Only 16% are disappointed with market developments. Expectations for the coming months also remain positive: 56% expect the value of their portfolio to increase further, while only one in ten investors anticipates a decline.
Less pessimism about the Dutch economy
Sentiment regarding the Dutch economy has improved further. The percentage of investors who believe economic conditions have worsened over the past three months fell from 35% to 28%. At the same time, the share of investors who saw an improvement increased from 25% to 30%. Investors have also become slightly more positive about their own financial situation.
Investors recognise the geopolitical risks, but remain confident in the economic and corporate developments that ultimately drive stock market returns.
Bob Homan, Head of ING Investment Office
"}},{"componentType":"sectionTitle","title":"Opinion"},{"componentType":"paragraph","richBody":{"value":"ASML once again the favourite among investors
For the next three months, investors once again see the greatest opportunities in ASML. One in four investors identifies the technology company as the most promising stock in the AEX Index. This keeps ASML firmly in first place among Dutch retail investors. Adyen has entered the top five.
| Most popular companies in AEX-index | |
|---|---|
| 1. ASML | 25% |
| 2. RD Shell | 6% |
| 3. ASMI | 5% |
| 4. Adyen | 4% |
| 5. ING Group | 4% |
Geopolitics remains the key market driver
More than half of investors (53%) identify geopolitical developments as the most important factor influencing the stock market today. The global economy follows at some distance, cited by 25% of investors. Despite these uncertainties, market expectations have improved further. Investors expect the AEX Index to reach 1,123 points by November.
Investing is becoming increasingly important for wealth building
Investing is playing a growing role in the way Dutch households build wealth. This is also evident from a supplementary survey question. If investors were to receive an unexpected €50,000, 29% say investing would be their primary use of the money. One in five would use it to make an additional mortgage repayment, while 15% would spend it on home improvements or sustainability upgrades.
Calm response to market declines
Even when returns disappoint, many investors remain committed to their investment strategy. If an investment were to lose 20% of its value within a year, 57% say they would take no action. Another 19% would buy additional shares. Only 9% would sell part of their investment.
For many investors, investing has become a natural part of building wealth, with a clear focus on achieving long-term financial goals.
Bob Homan, Head of ING Investment Office
"}},{"componentType":"paragraph"},{"componentType":"paragraph","richBody":{"value":"Since November 2002, ING has been measuring investor confidence among Dutch private investors with the Investor Barometer. This tool, developed by ING, uses nine questions to determine the index for investor confidence. The index runs from 0 ('very pessimistic'), through 100 ('neutral'), up to a maximum of 200 ('very optimistic'). The research is carried out by research agency Blauw Research, which conducts monthly surveys with a representative sample of over 400 Dutch private investors. Different investors are surveyed each month to prevent panel effects.
"},"title":"The ING Investor Barometer"},{"componentType":"sectionTitle","title":"Good to know"},{"componentType":"paragraph","richBody":{"value":"Investing involves risks and costs. You may lose your investment or part of it.
This publication has been prepared on behalf of ING Bank N.V. and is intended for information purposes only. ING Bank N.V. obtains its information from sources considered reliable and has taken all possible care to ensure that, at the time of publication, the information on which its views in this publication are based is not incorrect or misleading. ING Bank N.V. does not guarantee that the information it uses is accurate or complete. The information in this publication may be changed without any form of notice. Copyright and data file protection rights apply to this publication. Reproduction of data from this publication is permitted, provided the source is mentioned. ING Bank N.V. is legally registered in Amsterdam, trade register no. 33031431, and is supervised by De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) and the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM). ING Bank N.V. is part of ING Groep N.V.
"}}]},"hasMacro":false,"id":"5c2a3903-900a-4e13-8002-4f8c44369605","localeString":"en-GB","mainHeaderZone":{"backLink":{"textLink":{"text":"Market news and views","url":"/en/personal/investing/market-news-and-views"}},"componentType":"productHeader","coreHeader":{"body":"1 September 2026 – Dutch retail investors remain positive about the stock market. The ING Investor Barometer rose from 117 to 122 points in August. Although many investors see geopolitical tensions as the most important factor influencing markets, they still expect both the AEX Index and their own portfolios to continue rising in the coming months.","headerImage":{"extension":"png","original":"https://assets.ing.com/asset/be4704a9-68c1-4cdb-a70f-9796eab8a118/ING_BeleggersBarometer_up_EN_806x240_px_aug26_EN.png","transformBaseUrl":"https://assets.ing.com/transform/be4704a9-68c1-4cdb-a70f-9796eab8a118/ING_BeleggersBarometer_up_EN_806x240_px_aug26_EN","type":"image","width":1075},"title":"Investors remain optimistic despite geopolitical uncertainty"}},"publishDate":"2026-09-02T10:27:30.549+02:00"}}