Key takeaways: 

• As market momentum waned through the month, Selfwealth investors refocused their attention on Tech shares, including semiconductor stocks. 

• Leveraged ETF trades remained popular, with interest growing in VIX-related funds amid the surge in market volatility. Please ensure that you consider the risks with leveraged ETFs . 

• It is important to do your own research before making decisions about investing.  

• Past returns are not an indicator of future performance.  

This article was produced 9 April 2025. 

Tariff rhetoric dominated much of the narrative through March, with investors weighing up the risks of a global trade war, including the prospect of a recession. 

With concerns also extending to inflation, namely, whether trade tariffs might accelerate consumer prices across the world's largest economy, selling pressure prevailed. 

Over the course of the month, the Dow Jones declined 4.2%, while the tech heavy S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite indices tumbled 6.3% and 8.2% respectively. 

Last month's trading activity on the Selfwealth platform brought plenty of action, with these trends being the highlights. 

US share trading activity 

Both by trade volumes and trade values, Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) was the most active trade through March. That was directly attributable to the sharp sell-off in the semiconductor manufacturer, which fell to a multi-month low on account of broad-based market weakness.  

Last month, trade volumes in NVDA rose  in the process setting a record for any US stock on the Selfwealth platform. Sentiment was largely positive, with 61.5% of all trades being ‘buys’, a far higher number than the respective sentiment for the stock's money flow. 

Meanwhile, with the Tech sector bearing the brunt of the market sell-off, Selfwealth investors turned to mega-tech in search of buying opportunities.  

Among the top 10 most actively traded US stocks by volume, we saw the likes of Palantir (NASDAQ: PLTR), Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL), Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), and Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META). Including Tesla, it was the second time in as many months we've seen the entire ‘Magnificent Seven’ cohort with a stranglehold over these rankings, with the catalyst both times being a pull-back across the market instigated by these names. 

Elsewhere, Nvidia wasn't the only chip stock garnering attention over the course of the month.  

In 10th place, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE: TSM) improved two spots. Trade volumes in the world's largest foundry were around 10% higher. At the same time, buying sentiment also improved, with the stock recording a buy-to-sell ratio of 65%. 

Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ: AMD) was the other name on the radars of the Selfwealth investors. In 11th position, and with strong backing, AMD recorded an improved buy-to-sell ratio of 80.2%, the highest of any share among the top 20 most actively traded names. 

The other chip stock rounding out the trend was Intel (NASDAQ: INTC). Further down the list in 17th position, the chip maker’s appearance reinforced what might be described as bullish investment bias towards this segment held by Selfwealth investors. 

Other shares that landed among the community's favourites last month included MicroAlgo (NASDAQ: MLGO) and Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX), with rankings of 14th and 18th respectively.  

It was the first time MicroAlgo has ever featured among the most popular trades on the Selfwealth platform, while Netflix’s appearance among the most actively traded stocks on the platform was its first since September 2023, when it recorded a lowly buy-to-sell ratio of 34.8%. 

For the second month in a row, there was an increase in trade volumes for the ProShares Ultra VIX Short-Term Futures ETF (NYSE: UVXY). In turn, UVXY topped the charts of the most traded US-listed ETFs for the first time on the Selfwealth platform, underscoring how some investors have responded to the sudden shift in momentum across the market. 

With trade volumes having more than doubled through February, they rose another 46.6% over March. The trend here suggests that some Selfwealth investors may have identified a trading opportunity in VIX futures, effectively taking a position surrounding volatility in the market. Please ensure that you undertake your own research and consider the risks. 

This would probably come as no surprise given the increase in market volatility over the last two months, and which continued into early April. 

Last month's data also pointed to the divergent views of the Selfwealth community towards electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla. That follows a rocky period for the company, which has been the target of widespread vandalism across several countries, and a plummeting share price. 

On the one hand, the bear-oriented Tradr 2X Short TSLA Daily ETF (NASDAQ: TSLQ) was the second most traded ETF by volume, with buying interest accounting for most trades. However, in fourth spot, a near identically sized cohort was investing in Direxion Daily TSLA Bull 2X Shares (NASDAQ: TSLL), illustrating a stark divide in sentiment. Please ensure that you undertake your own research and consider the risks. 

After a strong run, where its share price soared over consecutive months, Palantir (NASDAQ: PLTR) saw a spike in net outflows during March. Money flow has gradually turned bearish in the stock since the start of the year, which could be indicative of several Selfwealth investors taking profits from the data analytics AI firm, especially with several AI-related businesses seeing share price momentum unwind. 

Aside from some of the semiconductor and Tesla related funds utilising leverage, where major money flow was evident, Broadcom (NASDAQ: AVGO) also drew a sharp increase in money flow as it found itself caught up in the tech rout. It was the 17th most traded US stock by value last month.  

Overall, across the top 20 securities traded by value in March, 10 of these names were exchange-traded funds. While the popularity of ASX-listed ETFs on the Selfwealth platform has long been evident through month-to-month data, the figure suggests that US ETFs also remain an integral means of exposure for global equities, at least among active traders. 

Which US shares are the most held? 

 Most of the most popular shares on the Selfwealth platform saw the collective value of their holdings diminish last month. However, there were some exceptions. 

The most prominent of these exceptions was Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.B), where the Warren Buffett led conglomerate fared better than most other S&P 500 stocks in March, up 3.7%. In fact, at one stage the business reset its all-time high, only to fade in early April as volatility resurfaced. Selfwealth holdings in BRK grew 3.3% over the month, with the stock climbing one spot higher to eighth position. 

Just one month ago, the business reported record profits, with investors seemingly drawn to the resilience of Berkshire’s various divisions. There has also been extended media coverage regarding Warren Buffett’s decision to stockpile cash on BRK’s balance sheet, which may be something that appealed to investors looking for a more defensive opportunity amid the market sell-off. 

The only other US stocks within the top 20 cohort to record an increase in value across all Selfwealth investors holdings was Advanced Micro Devices and Enbridge (NYSE: ENB). 

In the case of the former, as noted earlier, there was significant buying demand in AMD, such that less than 20% of trades in the chip stock were sales. That was enough to ensure community holdings in AMD rose by over 10%, despite market headwinds specifically impacting the Tech sector. 

As far as Enbridge, it rose one place to finish the month as the 19th most popular US stock by value in the Selfwealth community. Total platform holdings in ENB grew 3.3% over the month.  

That’s all for this Trade Trends report, stay tuned for the next edition this time next month!