Apple tops technology stocks in Barclays poll

Investors are showing a strong appetite for technology stocks with Apple appearing as the top desire in many portfolios, it is claimed.

Some 63% of Barclays Stockbrokers clients technology stocks on their investment radar and Apple is most popular stock on the Barclays Stockbrokers International Trader platform.

The research from the UK's largest online execution only stockbroker shows that Apple has proved the most popular purchase on the Barclays Stockbrokers International Trader platform since it launched in January 2011.

When asked which technology companies they favour as candidates for their portfolio, the majority, 57%, of respondents voted in favour of electronics giant Apple. Google came second in the poll, with 11% of investors expressing their interest in the search engine. Meanwhile, 10% of clients confirmed they would be interested in investing in Facebook and Twitter if/when they float, and Cisco Systems, the US computer networking company, came fourth with 8% of the vote.

Barclays Stockbrokers clients also revealed their appetite for investing in the global technology sector. Almost two thirds, 63%, of respondents said technology stocks are on their investment radar, some 18% already hold them in their portfolio, and 26% are interested in investing in them. One in five, 19%, are currently monitoring the sector.

‘Investing in technology has been a popular trend for some time and the investment demand for this sector is strong among our clients. Investment opportunities in stocks such as Apple remain on the radar for investors and the majority of our clients who responded to this survey are interested in the sector,’ said Paul Inkster, head of product at Barclays Stockbrokers.

‘For those interested in investing in the technology sector, the Barclays Stockbrokers International Trader platform is ideal for self directed clients who want to pick their own stocks and seek out opportunities in global markets,’ he added.

Barclays Stockbrokers recently added five new markets, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Denmark and Norway, to its International Trader platform. With the new market additions, investors can now access over 12,000 stocks on 26 major global exchanges across 18 international markets.