Chart assignment
Charts to read and discuss
Read each chart, then answer its questions. Every chart shows its source and date; open it for a table of the numbers and the data to download.
Chart 1 of 1 · Wealth
Who owns U.S. stocks and mutual funds?
The interactive chart needs JavaScript. The numbers are on the chart's page.
In the quarter ending June 2026, the wealthiest 1% of U.S. households held 50.9% of the stocks and mutual funds that households own directly, the next 9% held 37.2%, the next 40% held 11.4% and the bottom 50% held 0.6%. Stocks held inside 401(k)s and other defined-contribution retirement plans are not counted here. Groups are ranked by net worth: what households own minus what they owe. The Fed estimates each quarter by combining its Financial Accounts with its Survey of Consumer Finances, taken every three years, so the newest quarters are estimates that get revised.
Questions to discuss
- In one sentence of your own, what does this chart show?
- Find the biggest change or difference in the chart. What might explain it?
- Who collected these numbers, and how recent are they? What else would you want to know before drawing a conclusion?
Source: Federal Reserve Board, Distributional Financial Accounts (Public domain (Federal Reserve Board; cite the Board as the source)) · Data as of Jun 30, 2026
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