August 2023

The Retail Investor Report

They’re not leaving — so what’s next?

Hero Rir2023

In 2020, a wave of retail investors entered the stock market. In the last two years, approximately 30 million new retail investors opened brokerage accounts in the U.S.1 By 2021, retail investors comprised 25% of total equities trading volume, nearly double the percentage reported a decade prior.2

And they’ve stuck around. In February 2023, retail investors across platforms set a new all-time high for weekly inflows, with $1.5 billion dollars pouring into the market in a single week.3

Participation in the public markets remains high; more significantly, it has evolved. Public’s latest Retail Investing Report dives into what’s new and what’s next.

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Public

Public is an investing platform that allows everyone to invest in stocks, treasuries, ETFs, crypto, and alternative assets—all in one place. We help people be better investors with access to custom company metrics, live shows about the markets, and insights from a community of millions of investors, creators, and analysts.

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  1. Just how mighty are active retail traders? The Economist (Aug-21)
  2. The Rise of Retail Traders BNY Mellon (Nov-21)
  3. Retail Army Bets Record $1.5 Billion on Stocks at Fastest Pace Ever, JPMorgan Says Bloomberg (Jul-23)

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Stocks and ETFs.
Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities are offered to self-directed customers by Open to the Public Investing, Inc. (“Open to the Public Investing”), a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA & SIPC. Additional information about your broker can be found by clicking here. Open to Public Investing is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Public Holdings, Inc. (“Public Holdings”). This is not an offer, solicitation of an offer, or advice to buy or sell securities or open a brokerage account in any jurisdiction where Open to the Public Investing is not registered. Securities products offered by Open to the Public Investing are not FDIC insured. Apex Clearing Corporation, our clearing firm, has additional insurance coverage in excess of the regular SIPC limits. Additional information can be found here.

Alternative Assets.
Brokerage services for alternative assets available on Public are offered by Dalmore Group, LLC (“Dalmore”), member of FINRA & SIPC. “Alternative assets,” as the term is used at Public, are equity securities that have been issued pursuant to Regulation A of the Securities Act of 1933 (as amended) (“Regulation A”). This content is not investment advice. These investments are speculative, involve substantial risks (including illiquidity and loss of principal), and are not FDIC or SIPC insured. Alternative Assets purchased on the Public platform are not held in an Open to the Public Investing brokerage account and are self-custodied by the purchaser. The issuers of these securities may be an affiliate of Public, and Public (or an affiliate) may earn fees when you purchase or sell Alternative Assets. For more information on risks and conflicts of interest, see these disclosures.
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Crypto.
Cryptocurrency execution and custody services are provided by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1828849) through a software licensing agreement between Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (“Bakkt”) and Public Crypto, LLC. Bakkt is not a registered broker-dealer or a member of SIPC or FINRA. Cryptocurrencies are not securities and are not FDIC or SIPC insured. Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the New York State Department of Financial Services. Please ensure that you fully understand the risks involved before trading: Legal Disclosures, Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC.

Treasuries.
U.S. Treasuries (“T-Bill”) investing services on the Public Platform are offered by Jiko Securities, Inc. (“JSI”), a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA & SIPC. See JSI’s FINRA BrokerCheck and Form CRS for further information. When you enable T-Bill investing on the Public platform, you open a separate brokerage account with JSI (the “Treasury Account”).

JSI uses funds from your Treasury Account to purchase T-bills in increments of $100 “par value” (the T-bill’s value at maturity). T-bills are purchased at a discount to the par value and the T-bill’s yield represents the difference in price between the “par value” and the “discount price.” Aggregate funds in your Treasury Account in excess of the T-bill purchases will remain in your Treasury Account as cash. The value of T-bills fluctuate and investors may receive more or less than their original investments if sold prior to maturity. T-bills are subject to price change and availability – yield is subject to change. Past performance is not indicative of future performance. Investments in T-bills involve a variety of risks, including credit risk, interest rate risk, and liquidity risk. As a general rule, the price of a T-bills moves inversely to changes in interest rates. Although T-bills are considered safer than many other financial instruments, you could lose all or a part of your investment. Jiko U.S. Treasuries Risk Disclosures for further details.

Investments in T-bills: Not FDIC Insured; No Bank Guarantee; May Lose Value.

Banking services and bank accounts are offered by Jiko Bank, a division of Mid-Central National Bank.
JSI and Jiko Bank are not affiliated with Public Holdings, Inc. (“Public”) or any of its subsidiaries. None of these entities provide legal, tax, or accounting advice. You should consult your legal, tax, or financial advisors before making any financial decisions. This material is not intended as a recommendation, offer, or solicitation to purchase or sell securities, open a brokerage account, or engage in any investment strategy.

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All investments involve the risk of loss and the past performance of a security or a financial product does not guarantee future results or returns.