The ongoing U.S.-Israel- Iran conflict is having direct repercussions on the market.
But market volatility and global uncertainty don't appear to be rattling the new generation of investors.
According to Charles Schwab CEO Rick Wurster, younger investors are reshaping how markets respond to volatility.
Related: Charles Schwab quietly boosts stake in MicroStrategy
Gen Z investors are entering markets earlier
According to Wurster, Gen Z investors, born between 1997 and 2012, are beginning their investing journeys far earlier than previous generations, Bloomberg reported on March 12. This fundamentally changes the dynamics of retail trading.
That early participation is translating into a growing presence on trading platforms .
Members of Gen Z are about 45% more likely to start investing by age 21 than millennials were at the same age, according to Schwab data.
Roughly 33% of new retail households joining Schwab are under 30, while one in six new clients is younger than 24.
"We've seen younger investors really engage in the market,"Wurster said in an interview. "We are the most followed financial company on YouTube and have strong engagement on TikTok and Instagram."
The influx of young traders is also helping explain why markets have remained resilient even as global risks pile up. Wurster adds that this new generation of investors really shows up to buy every dip in equities.
Despite fears stemming from the war in the Middle East, volatile oil prices , and weaker U.S. jobs data , investors have continued to pour money into equities.
Data from Bank of America showed that institutional and private investors collectively bought $6.1 billion in single stocks last week, even as the S&P 500 fell 2% during the same period.
The inflow ranked as the 16th-largest ever relative to the index's market capitalization.
Retail traders, in particular, appear to have adopted a strategy of ignoring short-term market noise.
"Retail investors have learned not to pay attention to the noise,"Wurster said. "They're seeing the bigger picture."
Still, he warned that the trend could change if economic fundamentals deteriorate significantly.
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Younger investors also show growing interest in crypto
The younger generation is a bit more risk-taking than previous generations. They like to experiment and trust new forms of trading.
For example, a recent OKX survey of 1,000 Americans found a significant trust gap between younger and older investors when it comes to crypto platforms.
About 40% of Gen Z and 41% of millennials rated their trust in crypto platforms at 7 or higher on a 10-point scale, compared with just 9% of Baby Boomers.
That makes younger generations roughly five times more trusting of crypto than older investors.
Confidence is also rising. Around 36% of Gen Z and 34% of millennials said their trust in crypto increased over the past year.
That optimism is already shaping investment behavior.
In 2026, 40% of Gen Z and 36% of millennials say they plan to increase their crypto trading activity, nearly four times the share of boomers planning to expand their exposure.
Together, these trends suggest that the next generation of investors may reshape both traditional financial markets and the digital asset ecosystem for years to come.
Related: Inflation-hit Americans receive free $12,000 in crypto
This story was originally published by TheStreet on Mar 13, 2026, where it first appeared in the Business News section. Add TheStreet as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
