economy
January 30, 2026
The hottest retail investor picks since the meme stock craze shook up Wall Street
While the GameStop episode became a defining moment for mom-and-pop traders, it overshadowed the names they've bought in the biggest sums since.
TL;DR
- Retail investors' meme stock craze, which began five years ago, included short-squeezing stocks like GameStop, AMC, Opendoor, and Kohl's.
- The State Street SPDR S&P 500 Trust ETF (SPY) was historically the most bought security by everyday investors annually.
- In 2023, Tesla surpassed the S&P 500 fund as the most bought security by retail investors, reflecting its stock's significant gains.
- Nvidia has led the way in 2024 and 2025, driven by its performance in artificial intelligence.
- Retail investors now represent almost 20% of average daily flows, a significant increase from pre-pandemic levels.
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