Recent decisions by US President Donald Trump have shaken up global economic outlooks and markets, which in turn has had an impact on the investment decisions of the nearly 1.5 million fund investors in Finland. According to the Bank of Finland, households constitute the largest group of owners of mutual fund holdings, and trends in the redemptions and subscriptions of fund units serve as an indication of current investor sentiment in Finland.

"We've seen some significant moves by Finnish mutual fund investors recently, as funds investing in the global and US stock markets have lost their status as investors' favourites over a short period," says Lippo Suominen, Chief Investment Strategist at OP Financial Group.

In February and March, mutual funds investing in the global and North American stock markets reported net redemptions of over 1.1 billion euros and over 500 million euros respectively.

"The redemptions can be explained by the general uncertainty in the stock markets caused by Trump's decisions, which investors will now have to learn to live with. Even amidst uncertainty, it's important for investors to remember what their investment goals are and follow them by investing systematically," Suominen says.

Global investment funds also have a strong weight on the US stock market, as the United States accounts for a total of 60% to 70% of total fund investments.

"In recent years, investors looked to global investment funds as an easy way to hop on board the US stock market boom. It's therefore good to keep in mind that many investors who redeemed their holdings since the start of the year have walked away with a profit from the last few years. Diversifying to stock markets in other countries has paid off," Suominen says.

OP's Rahastopulssi review reveals that Europe has emerged as this year's favourite for equity fund investors.

"In January and February in particular, investors poured money into equity funds investing in European markets as the old continent was showing signs of pulling together and launching new stimulus measures," Suominen says.

Popularity of systematic mutual fund investing on the rise

More and more people in Finland have come to see mutual funds as a way to build personal wealth. At OP, the number of customers who invest regularly on a monthly basis has grown in recent years – in March, for example, the number of new systematic fund investment plans at OP was up 18% compared to one year ago. This is an indication that Finnish investors are confident about the benefits of long-term investing, despite the current market instability.

"Finnish investors have sensibly understood the importance of systematic investing. During times of market instability, it's good to keep in mind that investors who buy regularly also benefit as the market declines, and prices fall," Suominen says.

As Suominen points out, monthly investors are in the game for the long haul and have no reason to change their investment strategy during a temporary dip in the markets.

"On the contrary, a fall in prices can be seen as an opportunity for making additional investments in the stock markets," Suominen says.

OP's Rahastopulssi investor sentiment review compiles data on mutual fund investments by Finnish investors. Finance Finland (FFI) reports that nearly 1.5 million people in Finland hold investments in mutual funds. The review describes which types of mutual funds are trending, what factors influence Finnish mutual fund investors' decisions, and how the markets are doing. The review is based on the Fund Report by Investment Research, as well as OP Financial Group's own data. The latest review for January–March looked at trends in equity fund investments across geographical regions, as equity funds have undergone significant shifts during the first months of 2025.

Read the Rahastopulssi review for January–March 2025 (in Finnish): xCrPKZZCXRnP