Retail trading drops sharply amid Iran conflict, with single-stock sales hitting $15B net in March

Retail trading, which reached $70 billion daily late last year, has significantly declined in recent weeks due to the conflict in Iran. While overall ETF activity increased as investors sought macro plays, retail ETF trading fell by about $5 billion per day. Single-stock retail trading dropped below $35 billion daily, with retail traders consistently selling single stocks throughout March, resulting in a net selling of over $15 billion. This shift highlights changing retail investor behavior amid geopolitical tensions.