U.S. stock market turnover soared to $1.03 trillion in January, while overall daily trading volume exceeded 19 billion shares, the second-highest ever recorded, according to Bloomberg Intelligence.
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Forget margin or options. Here's how the pros trade QQQ“There’s more trading from retail, pod shops and hedge funds, and market makers, while automated trading is more prevalent than ever,” said Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Jackson Gutenplan. It’s worth noting that higher stock prices naturally increase the dollar-amount of turnover in the market.
Robinhood, Options, and ETFs Drive Turnover Boom
The proliferation of gamified investing platforms, like Robinhood (HOOD), shorter-duration options contracts, and elevated exchange-traded fund (ETF) demand has also contributed to the spike in activity. In addition, a steep selloff in tech stocks encouraged investors to shift their money to other sectors.
Stock market volume has risen in recent years. In 2024, only 4% of trading days saw volume higher than 18 billion shares. That figure jumped to 37% in 2025 and was a sky-high 70% in January.