Retail Investors Outperform Major Index Funds

Retail investors accounted for $5.4 trillion in trading activity in 2025 and, according to Vanda and Charles Schwab analyses, outperformed SPY and QQQ last year. Their activity rose nearly 47% year-over-year, with about $650 billion in options trades and record silver ETF purchases during market dips in April and October 2025. The surge reflects mobile apps, zero-commission trading, and social-media-driven retail communities.