After a brief lull, US retail trading volumes have roared back, reaching levels not seen since the start of the year. Monday saw a significant 39% increase in trading activity compared to Friday, pushing volumes slightly above this year’s daily average. Investors appeared eager to capitalize on opportunities, with a shift in focus from ETFs to single stocks.

A Surge in Single-Stock Interest

Retail flows showed a clear preference for individual stocks over ETFs, with consumer discretionary stocks and Nvidia leading the charge. Nvidia, in particular, has been a dominant force in retail trading, attracting net buying on 17 of the last 18 trading days. Over this period, investors have funneled an impressive $316 million into Nvidia stock alone, making it a key driver of recent retail activity.

Balanced Market Flows

Overall, UBS’s US retail market-making clients saw $8 million in net inflows on Monday. The renewed enthusiasm among retail traders suggests growing confidence and interest in specific stock opportunities rather than broad market plays through ETFs.

As trading volumes continue to rebound, all eyes remain on Nvidia and other high-profile stocks to see whether this momentum sustains in the coming weeks. Whether this is a short-term spike or the start of a more sustained trend remains to be seen, but for now, retail investors appear firmly back in action.