Trade watch: What advisers bought and sold in October 2026
A relatively quiet month for local shares encouraged advisers to focus on individual client strategies in the absence of strong market leads.
What's new
- Advisers who use the AUSIEX platform sold domestic health stocks in October with global biotech CSL (ASX: CSL), medical technology company Resmed (ASX: RMD) and private hospital operator Ramsay Health Care (ASX: RHC) among the most traded shares.
- CSL was the most traded company overall by advisers in October but its buy/sell ratio of 26% shows activity was skewed towards “sell” trades.
- Selling of ResMed and Ramsay Health Care was even heavier, with buy/sell ratios of under 15%. A buy/sell ratio above 50% indicates a buy skew in trading, while below 50% is a sell skew.
- Advisers’ buying activity was more diversified across sectors, with Pilbara Minerals (ASX: PLS), Hub 24 (ASX: HUB) and explosives manufacturer Dyno Nobel (ASX: DNL) recording the highest buy/sell ratios over the month.
- It was the second month in a row that Dyno Nobel ranked as a top buy by advisers who use the AUSIEX platform.
- The most traded exchange traded funds (ETFs), bought or sold, were dominated by a mix of core Australian equity and global equity vehicles. The only likely satellite investment in the top 10 traded ETFs was VanEck’s FTSE Global Infrastructure (AUD Hedged) ETF (ASX: IFRA).
- Meanwhile, retail chain Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ: COST) was by far the most bought global company – outstripping buying activity in technology stocks as sentiment toward artificial intelligence companies wavered.
- Overall, the most traded international stock was Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA), though advisers sold considerably more shares in the electric car manufacturer than they bought.
Why it matters
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Trading activity suggests advisers may have been selective in their trading in October by looking for opportunities in a month in which the S&P/ASX200 index and S&P500 index were largely flat, and the Nasdaq Composite Index fell by more than 5%.
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There were few broad trends evident in their trading patterns, with most appearing to focus on individual client strategies in the absence of strong market leads.
Top five traded domestic equities
| Ticker | Security | Buy/Sell ratio |
|---|---|---|
| CSL | CSL Limited | 26% |
| PLS | Pilbara Minerals Limited | 98% |
| RMD | ResMed Inc | 13% |
| HUB | HUB24 Limited | 97% |
| VAU | Vault Minerals Limited | 4% |
Top five traded international equities
| Ticker | Security | Buy/Sell ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSLA | Tesla Inc | 19% | |
| COST | Costco Wholesale Corporation | 100% | |
| GOOGL | Alphabet Inc. Class A | 54% | |
| MPWR | Monolithic Power System Inc | 54% | |
| AMD | Advanced Micro Devices Inc | 35% | |
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Top five traded ETFs
| Ticker | Security | Buy/Sell ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| IVV | iShares S&P 500 ETF | 49% | |
| VHY | Vanguard Australian Shares High Yield ETF | 73% | |
| VAP | Vanguard Australian Property Securities Index ETF | 52% | |
| AQLT | Betashares Australian Quality ETF | 85% | |
| VAS | Vanguard Australian Shares ETF | 62% |
Top five traded domestic equities by advised SMSFs
| Ticker | Security | Buy/Sell ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSL | CSL Limited | 40% | |
| PLS | Pilbara Minerals Limited | 98% | |
| RMD | ResMed Inc | 15% | |
| HUB | HUB24 Limited | 8% | |
| VAU | Vault Minerals Limited | 4% |
Source: AUSIEX. Percentage of trades across advised accounts during October 2026. A buy/sell ratio above 50% indicates a buy skew, below 50% indicates a sell skew.
Important information: Trading activity data reflects transactions executed through the AUSIEX platform during October 2026 and may not be representative of the broader market. References to specific securities are provided solely to report trading activity and do not constitute recommendations or statements regarding future performance.
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