Impact of COVID 19 on the Stock Market and Private Investors in Russia

The purpose of this study is to identify the impact of the pandemic on the growth of the number of private investors in Russia, to analyze their behavior and the decisions they make. The motivation for this study was the fact that the number of private investors in Russia increased to 8.5 million in 2020 and 400-500 thousand new customers invested every month. The research methods were the following: analysis of data taken from stock exchanges, quantitative analysis in the form of a survey of private investors, and qualitative analysis using interviews. The study includes a review of the existing literature on the topic, a description of research methods and data collection, an analysis and description of the results and conclusions obtained. The results of the study discuss: analysis of the impact of the pandemic-related restrictions on the inflow of private investors to the Russian stock market, identification of patterns between the investor's experience and its required return, conclusions about the influence of media on investors ' decisions, as well as finding a correlation between the experience of investors and the type of assets with which they make transactions. Personal interviews with experienced investors and newcomers will help to identify the potential relationship between the investor's experience and his decisions in the stock market, as well as demonstrate the specifics of a professional approach to investing in critical periods in the market. The conclusions will present the results of testing hypotheses and information about the popularity and features of various investor strategies.