An individual investor is a person, like you or me. In this example, assume we are each a rowboat in the ocean. An institutional investor is a business. It may be a mutual fund company. It may be a company that manages the retirement fund for teachers in your state. In this example, assume the institutional investor is an ocean liner. Now think of the rowboat and the ocean liner. Which makes the bigger wave? Which affects the other? Which can withstand a storm better?