Last week, customers of online stockbroker Freetrade spent more money on Boohoo shares than any other single stock.
But other top picks suggest that investors on the platform see growth opportunities in several other exciting sectors.
Stay-at-home living
Shares in the fast-growing online fashion retailer Boohoo have fallen by almost 30% over the last month. Although the firm reported a 51% rise in pre-tax profit for the six months to 31 August, Boohoo has faced criticism this year relating to working practices at its suppliers.
More recently, the firm’s auditor has resigned and The Sunday Times has reported that one of Boohoo’s suppliers is under investigation on suspicion of money laundering and VAT fraud.
Other consumer stocks on Freetrade’s most-bought list have managed to avoid such negative headlines.
In third place is Amazon. Shares in the online giant have risen by more than 70% so far this year.
Streaming giant Netflix — in eighth place — is up by 50% so far this year. However, the Netflix share price has fallen by more than 5% since the company reported a sharp slowdown in new subscriber numbers, which fell to 2.2m during the third quarter.
Finally, electrical retailer AO World made it into 10th place on the list last week. Shares in the online retailer have risen by 45% since 15 October, when the firm said that sales rose by 57% to £715m during the six months to 30 September. AO boss John Roberts believes that the electricals market has seen “a lasting step change in online penetration” this year.
Electric mobility
Despite the impact of coronavirus, environmental concerns have gained a high profile this year. One area of investor interest is electric transportation, which has attracted substantial interest.
Freetrade’s top-10 list includes two electric car companies. In second place is US giant Tesla, whose share price has risen by around 390% so far this year.
In second place is Chinese firm NIO, which is listed on the New York stock exchange. Although the electric vehicle maker does yet sell cars outside China, NIO stock has risen by a staggering 640% so far this year, giving the business a market cap of around $38bn.
Work-from-home shares
Millions of office workers around the world are still working from home. One stock that has done well in this market is video-conferencing group Zoom, whose service has become widely used by companies and by friends and family wanting to meet up.
Another area of growth has been freelancing sites. Fiverr is a marketplace that connects business clients with freelancers. Fiverr’s share price has risen by 540% this year, although the stock has pulled back somewhat from September’s record high of $185.
Of course, all this online activity depends on internet-enabled devices. Apple remains the platform of choice for many consumers and the firm’s shares were the seventh most-bought among Freetrade investors last week. After a 55% gain so far this year, Apple’s market cap has reached $1.5tr, but broker forecasts suggest the group’s growth will continue in 2021.