Goldman Sachs: Retail investors account for about 30% of U.S. stock market trading volume, and trading value hit a new all-time high again in June

BlockBeats News, July 16: Goldman Sachs data shows that retail investors currently account for about 30% of daily trading volume in U.S. stocks. In May this year, retail stock trading value was 10% higher than the peak during the “retail vs. Wall Street” period in January 2021, and in June it further set a new historical record.

The heat in the options market is rising in tandem. Since the beginning of this year, daily trading volume has repeatedly broken 50 million contracts, doubling the level from three years ago. Citadel Securities data shows that July was one of the strongest months for retail buying intensity in its records, and there has not yet been any day of net selling. Continued buying has also prompted some low-position institutions to chase the rally at high levels.

Goldman Sachs estimates that the asset size held by retail investors in brokerage accounts is already $12 trillion, accounting for about 10% of the U.S. corporate equity market; if direct and indirect holdings are included, the size of U.S. individual investors reaches $111 trillion. Goldman Sachs Executive Service Director Bobby Molavi described it as a “big white whale” in the capital markets.

However, there are still differences in opinion in the market about the AI narrative driving this round of the rally. Commentator Ed Zitron warned that OpenAI’s high computing spend and infrastructure debt could bring an “AI Lehman moment.” Howard Marks, Co-Chairman of Oaktree Capital, believes that AI’s potential for productivity could offset near-term financial pressure.