Keith Gill, known as Roaring Kitty, continues to influence GameStop’s rally five years after online traders shook Wall Street. Retail investors have reshaped markets, with individual participation in U.S. equities rising to nearly 20%. Retail investors are now a significant force in equity trading, with high-volume days seeing up to 40% retail participation. Retail investors have continued to deploy capital, propelling retail flows to new records in 2025. Hedge funds and short sellers have adjusted their strategies to avoid becoming targets of coordinated buying. Retail investors have turned their attention to energy stocks and silver, with silver hitting $100 per ounce for the first time last week. Online trading has opened up markets to everyday investors, with a rise in fractional trading and no account minimums. Retail investors have become more informed, engaged, and savvy, with access to more tools and information than ever before. Young people are increasingly moving significant sums from checking to investment accounts, with more skin in the game than ever. Household investors now collectively control more wealth than institutional investors, with a looming generational wealth transfer from baby boomers to millennials and Gen Z. Brokerage firms are catering to younger investors by offering 24/7 trading, access to cryptocurrencies, and private market offerings. Retail investors have diversified their portfolios and invested in tracking retail sentiment to avoid risks from coordinated buying. Retail investors have played a key role in market stability and have driven bumper returns during key drawdowns. Retail investors have shown resilience and continue to influence markets, prompting hedge funds to adapt and respect their impact on trading dynamics.

Read more at CNBC: Five years after GameStop mania, retail investors are reshaping markets