Goldman Sachs data shows retail investors now account for roughly 30% of daily trading volume in U.S. equities, a sign that individual participation remains unusually strong. The bank said retail stock trading in May ran 10% above the peak seen during the January 2021 meme-stock frenzy, and activity climbed again in June to a fresh record. Options trading has picked up as well, with daily volume topping 50 million contracts multiple times this year, double the level from three years ago. Separately, Citadel Securities said July has been one of the strongest months on record for retail buying, with no single day of net selling so far. Goldman estimates assets held by retail investors in brokerage accounts have reached $12 trillion, or about 10% of the U.S. corporate equity market. Including direct and indirect holdings, the scale of U.S. individual investor wealth rises to $111 trillion. Still, debate remains over whether the AI narrative behind the current rally can hold. Ed Zitron warned that OpenAI’s heavy computing spending and infrastructure debt could trigger an "AI Lehman moment," while Oaktree Capital co-chair Howard Marks said AI’s productivity gains may offset near-term financial strain.
Goldman Sachs data shows retail investors now account for about 30% of daily trading volume in U.S. stocks, according to BlockBeats on July 16.
The bank said retail stock trading in May was 10% above the peak reached during the January 2021 clash between retail traders and Wall Street. Activity rose again in June and set another record. Options trading has also accelerated, with daily volume topping 50 million contracts multiple times this year, about double the level seen three years ago.
Data from Citadel Securities shows July has been one of the strongest months on record for retail buying. So far, there has not been a single day of net selling. Persistent buying has also forced some lightly positioned institutions to chase the rally at higher levels.
Goldman estimates that assets held by retail investors in brokerage accounts have reached $12 trillion, equal to about 10% of the U.S. corporate equity market. Including direct and indirect holdings, total U.S. individual investor assets stand at $111 trillion.
Bobby Molavi, Goldman’s head of execution services, described the group as a “great white whale” in the capital markets. Even so, the market remains divided over the AI narrative that has helped drive the current rally.
Commentator Ed Zitron warned that OpenAI’s heavy spending on computing power and infrastructure debt could bring about an “AI Lehman moment.” Howard Marks, co-chairman of Oaktree Capital, took the opposite view, saying AI’s productivity potential may offset short-term financial pressure.
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