Warga Australia Sangat Berinvestasi dalam Berita Keuangan dan Konten Perdagangan Online Selama COVID-19

While the COVID-19 pandemic is a global health crisis, there is no denying the widespread economic impact that it’s having globally. The almost immediate economic impact has left many consumers—and businesses—facing unexpected challenges, all of which will shape the way they spend and save in the months ahead. 

Dengan meningkatnya pertanyaan dan kekhawatiran, warga Australia menghabiskan lebih banyak waktu secara online untuk terlibat dalam konten berita dan informasi bisnis serta informasi keuangan pribadi, karena mereka memantau situasi dengan cermat, terus mendapatkan informasi tentang keadaan yang terus berubah, tanggapan pemerintah, dan mengelola keuangan mereka sendiri. 

Keterlibatan dengan berita dan informasi keuangan pertama kali melonjak pada pertengahan Maret 2020, dan peningkatan ini didorong oleh berita seputar pembelian panik dan respons jaringan supermarket besar dalam mencegahnya melalui strategi seperti batas pembelian dan jam perdagangan yang ditetapkan untuk manula. Sejak lonjakan awal ini, perkembangan berita, seperti jatuhnya harga minyak, harga saham yang tidak menentu, Job Keeper dan pengumuman stimulus pemerintah lainnya, keberlangsungan bisnis yang sangat terdampak dan perdebatan tentang dimulainya kembali bisnis perjalanan, ritel, dan perhotelan, telah mendominasi berita.    

Nielsen Digital Content Ratings data reveals that since the federal government first announced stage 1 restrictions on March 23, 2020, Australians spent almost 500,000 hours per week reading financial news and information content online, a 43%¹ increase when compared with the same period in 2019 and a 36%² increase compared with the 12 weeks leading up to the announcement.

Gen Z and Millennials have recorded the highest total time spent on consuming financial news and information across business and personal finance since stage 1 restrictions were first announced. These age groups are most worried about their future, as 13.6% of Australian 15-24 years-olds are unemployed (Australian Bureau of Statistics), and/or they are not eligible to receive government’s subsidies. According to Nielsen Digital Content Ratings data, Australians aged 18-24 are spending 59%² more time engaging with finance content, and Australians aged 25-34 have seen a 47%² increase during the same period. 

The circumstances surrounding COVID-19 and the new homebody economy has had a profound impact on some of the country’s most iconic and blue chip companies, changing the way that they do business, decreased as well as increased demand, and for many a temporary closure of operations. The effect on these companies is not only felt by their employees, but also on the superannuation and personal investment portfolios of millions of Australians. Australians have increased the time spent specifically on business news content by 38%²     

Pada bulan Maret 2020, ASX200 mencatat nilai terendah dalam lebih dari empat tahun terakhir; namun, sepanjang kuartal April hingga Juni, ASX200 mulai pulih dan telah terjadi kenaikan harga dan volume perdagangan yang substansial.

This sentiment is also echoed in the amount of time spent by Australians aged 18+ engaging with online trading content and tools. Whether they are carefully monitoring their existing portfolio, getting a grasp of the market, looking for investment opportunities or snapping up bargain stocks, Australians spent 69%³  more time engaging with online trading content for the Q2 period when compared with the same period in 2019.

The recent drops in share prices have heavily impacted Australian pre-retirees and their future comfort  is implicit with the state of the stock market. The decisions that Australians aged 55-64 make today can largely determine the frugality of their retirement. This is evident in the amount of time those aged 55-64 spent engaging with online trading content and tools and during the April-June 2020 quarter. Whether they are carefully managing their portfolios, monitoring the situation or using the opportunity to buy bargain priced stocks, people aged 55-64 spent 84% more time engaged with online trading content and tools during this period. 

Seiring dengan berkembangnya dampak ekonomi dan keuangan dari COVID-19, dampaknya akan terus dirasakan dengan cara yang berbeda oleh warga Australia, terutama oleh generasi muda. 

Namun, meskipun konsumen yang lebih muda akan paling terpengaruh secara finansial, warga Australia dari segala usia akan terus mengandalkan berita bisnis dan keuangan, keuangan pribadi, dan konten investasi secara online: generasi yang lebih muda akan lebih cenderung mencari cara untuk mendidik diri mereka sendiri, sementara generasi yang lebih tua akan lebih fokus pada pengelolaan keuangan dan perencanaan masa depan. 

Sumber

1. Source: Nielsen Digital Content Ratings, Weekly,  WC 23/03/20 – WC 27/07/20 vs. WC 25/03/19 – WC 29/07/19, Finance News & Information Sub-Category, People 2+, Digital (C/M), Total Time Spent, Text
2. Source: Nielsen Digital Content Ratings, Weekly,  WC 23/03/20 – WC 27/07/20 vs. WC 30/12/20 – WC 16/03/20, Finance News & Information Sub-Category, People 2+, Digital (C/M), Total Time Spent, Text.
3. Source: Nielsen Digital Content Ratings, Weekly WC 23/03/20 -26/07/20 vs. WC 30/12/19 – 22/03/20, Finance News & Information Sub-Category Business and Finance Sites, People 2+, Digital (C/M), Total Time Spent, Text.
4. Source: Nielsen Digital Content Ratings, Monthly Total, April – June 2019 and April – June 2020, P18+,  Digital C/M, Text, Online Trading Subcategory includes all entities measured in all periods, Total Time Spent.