New York, January 23, 2026, 13:20 EST — Regular session
- Robinhood shares climbed roughly 2.6% in afternoon trading, bouncing between $105.52 and $110.43 earlier in the session
- The newly launched “Retail Kings” ETF counts Robinhood among its first holdings
- A Robinhood-Susquehanna joint venture has recently acquired a majority stake in MIAXdx, a regulated derivatives exchange
Robinhood Markets shares climbed 2.6% on Friday, hitting $109.01 by 1:20 p.m. ET. The stock swung between $105.52 and $110.43 during the session, with roughly 11.5 million shares changing hands.
Investors have zeroed in on the trading app’s expansion into futures and “prediction markets” — contracts that pay out depending on event outcomes — aiming to broaden its reach beyond just stocks and options trading.
Robinhood remains firmly connected to retail investors. Whenever individual traders ramp up their activity, the company’s name quickly pops up—in flows, options, and news stories alike.
Miami International Holdings announced it has sold 90% of MIAX Derivatives Exchange, or MIAXdx, to a joint venture formed by Robinhood and Susquehanna International Group, while keeping a 10% stake. MIAXdx is registered with the U.S. derivatives regulator to list and clear fully collateralized contracts, meaning trades are backed by full cash upfront. “The purchase of MIAXdx accelerates our investment in the prediction markets,” said JB Mackenzie, vice president and general manager of futures and international at Robinhood. SEC
Defiance ETFs teamed up with Futurum Equities on Thursday to roll out the Defiance Retail Kings ETF, an actively managed fund holding 30 to 50 stocks targeting self-directed investors. “These are companies that we think will be around for the next decade or two decades,” said Sylvia Jablonski, Defiance’s chief investment officer. The initial lineup features Micron, Palantir, and Robinhood. JPMorgan analysts noted retail investors poured $12.9 billion into U.S. stocks and funds in the week ending Wednesday, while Vanda Research recorded $1.8 billion in net buying on Tuesday. Reuters
The broader market traded unevenly. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq posted modest gains, driven by mega-cap tech stocks, while Intel took a steep hit following a bleak forecast. “Some of these AI stocks have been inflated dramatically,” noted Joe Saluzzi, partner and co-founder at Themis Trading. Reuters
Robinhood’s stock often behaves like a high-beta gauge for retail risk appetite, similar to other brokerages like Charles Schwab and Interactive Brokers. Crypto-related firms such as Coinbase frequently see matching spikes in trading volume.
A new ETF can still launch under the radar and remain modest in size, while derivatives and event contracts face stricter regulation than stocks. The risk here is a drop in retail trading or a sudden risk-off move that drags volumes down.
Robinhood announced it will report its fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results on Feb. 10, right after the market closes. The company plans to hold a video call at 5 p.m. ET featuring CEO Vlad Tenev and incoming CFO Shiv Verma. Shareholders can start submitting and upvoting questions on the Say Technologies platform beginning Feb. 3, the company said.
Traders are eyeing whether the Retail Kings ETF attracts assets during its debut week and if Robinhood’s MIAXdx presence sparks clearer strategies for futures and event contracts. The stock’s next major trigger comes with the earnings report and call on Feb. 10.
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