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Jan 2, 2026 12:20 PM

Retail Investors' Historic 2025 Streak: Record Inflows, Record Influence

Retail investing reached unprecedented levels in 2025, driven by the democratization of financial tools, social media and a massive influx of younger, tech-savvy market participants. 

HOOD stock is moving. See the chart and price action here. 

Here's a look at facts and figures from the year of the individual investor. 

Market Participation & Volume

Record Inflows: Retail inflows into U.S. stocks reached a record high in 2025, totaling roughly $308 billion—a 14% increase over the previous 2021 “meme stock” peak of $270 billion, according to Reuters. 

Read Next— Palantir: From Meme Stock To Market Leader In 2025 

Favorite Tickers: Retail investors branched out from meme stocks like GameStop Corp. (NYSE:GME) to drive record-high trading volumes in tech stocks leading the AI revolution like NVIDIA Corp.