Svmuu News Goldman Sachs released data on retail trading in the U.S. stock market, showing that retail investors currently account for approximately 30% of daily trading volume. Market trading activity continues to rise; in May, retail trading volume increased by 10% compared to the peak of the 2021 retail trading boom, and in June, it once again set a new all-time high;The options market has heated up simultaneously, with daily trading volume exceeding 50 million contracts on multiple days this year—double the volume seen three years ago.
Citadel data shows that retail investors were extremely active in buying in July, with no single day of net selling, forcing institutions with low positions to chase the rally at high prices. Goldman Sachs estimates that assets in retail direct brokerage accounts total $12 trillion, accounting for 10% of the U.S. stock market’s market capitalization, while the total assets of all individual investors amount to $111 trillion—a group institutions refer to as the market’s “Great White Whale.”
Opinions are divided regarding this AI-driven rally: some industry insiders warn that computing power liabilities could trigger a crisis in the AI sector, while Howard Marks remains optimistic that AI’s long-term productivity value will offset short-term pressures.