Investing
The $5 Trillion Stock Wipeout Is Rattling America's Big Spenders
Americans who have propped up consumer spending are the most likely to feel the sting from the recent bout of market losses. Some are already making plans to cut back.
Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.
Photographer: Michael Nagle/BloombergTakeaways NEW
It’s never been easier for everyday Americans to trade stocks. And, for the past two years, that’s largely meant one thing: making money.
On platforms from Fidelity to Robinhood to Coinbase, almost everything seemed to come up green in 2023 and 2024. The S&P 500 gained more than 20% in both years and favorites of retail investors, like Nvidia Corp. (+819%), Tesla Inc. (+228%) and Bitcoin (+467%), surged along with any number of ultra-leveraged funds.
