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

  • 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%. 

  • 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%
 

 

   

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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