In recent years, industry assets have become increasingly integral to institutional investors' portfolios and the larger asset-management market. Institutional investors are individuals or organizations that trade securities in such substantial volumes that they qualify for lower commissions and fewer protective regulations, since it's assumed that they're knowledgeable enough to protect themselves. Increasing demand from institutional investors has contributed to the surge in the industry's assets under management (AUM) and revenue during the current period. In recent years, the industry has continued to enmesh itself more deeply within the broader financial ecosystem despite the challenges posed at the onset of the period. Economic volatility and inflation led to the Fed increasing interest rates substantially throughout the period and fund managers reevaluated and pivoted their investment strategies to navigate the complex economic environment. Higher interest rates have reduced liquidity and increased the shift of capital into fixed-income securities. However, in 2024 and 2025, the Fed cut interest rates and is anticipated to cut rates again which will increase liquidity and drive capital back into equity markets. Overall, over the past five years, industry revenue grew at a CAGR of 4.4% to $313.3 billion, including an increase of 3.6% in 2025 alone. Industry profit has climbed significantly and will comprise 49.6% of revenue in the current year. Industry revenue will grow at a CAGR of 2.1% to $347.0 billion over the five years to 2030. The Federal Reserve is anticipated to cut interest rates as inflationary pressures continue to ease. These declining interest rates will increase liquidity in the markets. Private equity firms and hedge funds will have less difficulty raising capital for investments. As characteristics of the financial system change in light of post-financial crisis banking regulations and regulators' recognition of the importance of hedge funds within the financial system, hedge funds will likely experience heightened oversight.

In 2025, ** percent of adults in the United States invested in the stock market. This figure has remained steady over the last few years and is still below the levels before the Great Recession, when it peaked in 2007 at ** percent. What is the stock market? The stock market can be defined as a group of stock exchanges where investors can buy shares in a publicly traded company. In more recent years, it is estimated an increasing number of Americans are using neobrokers, making stock trading more accessible to investors. Other investments A significant number of people think stocks and bonds are the safest investments, while others point to real estate, gold, bonds, or a savings account. Since witnessing the significant one-day losses in the stock market during the financial crisis, many investors were turning towards these alternatives in hopes for more stability, particularly for investments with longer maturities. This could explain the decrease in this statistic since 2007. Nevertheless, some speculators enjoy chasing the short-run fluctuations, and others see value in choosing particular stocks.