Retail Investors Are Back, and They're Trading on Their Phones
A new generation of New Yorkers is piling into markets through slick apps, reshaping how stocks move and who owns them.
Everyday investors have returned to the market in force, and most of them never call a broker. Trading through smartphone apps, a new generation of New Yorkers is buying stocks, options, and funds with a few taps, reshaping market dynamics along the way.
The fictional app Tickr has become a fixture among young professionals, gamifying investing with instant trades and social features. Its rise has drawn both praise for democratizing access and criticism for encouraging risky bets.
Regulators worry that frictionless trading nudges inexperienced investors toward speculation. But the shift appears permanent: for millions of New Yorkers, the stock market now lives in their pocket, open around the clock.
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