STOCKS | Goldman Sachs Data Shows Retail Investors Drive 30% of U.S. Daily Trading Volume

Goldman Sachs released data on U.S. retail stock trading, saying retail investors currently account for about 30% of daily trading volume. According to Odaily, retail trading value in May rose 10% from the 2021 peak for the retail trading boom, and June set another record high. Options trading also increased, with daily volume topping 50 million contracts on multiple days this year and doubling from three years ago. Citadel data showed strong retail buying in July, with no single day of net selling, while institutions with low positioning were pushed to chase higher prices. Goldman Sachs estimated that retail direct brokerage account assets reached $12 trillion, equal to 10% of U.S. stock market value, and total personal investor assets across all channels stood at $111 trillion. Market views on the AI-driven rally were mixed. Some industry participants warned that compute debt could trigger a crisis in the AI sector, while Howard Marks said AI's long-term productivity value could offset short-term pressure.