British ownership of UK equities tumbles to 50-year low

British investors worried over the outlook for UK plc have cut back their holdings in shares listed on the London Stock Exchange to a 50-year low.

According to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), individual British investors owned around a tenth, or 11%, of all UK-listed shares by the end of 2010, compared to 54% in 1963. In contrast, foreign ownership of London-listed stocks has quadrupled to 41% in that time. Insurance companies have also sold much of their UK-listed investments, and now hold just 8.6% of the shares in issue, while pension funds held 5.1% by value. These are the lowest percentages since the share ownership survey began in 1963. Foreign investors have increased their UK ownership amid globali...