Retail Investors Sell $151 Million in Stocks
Individual investors were net sellers in U.S. equities Thursday as a technology-led market rout sent major indexes sharply lower.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Investing
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Retail investors sold a net $151 million in individual U.S. stocks Thursday as a technology-led selloff pushed major indexes to some of their steepest losses since April 2025. The rout erased Wednesday's post-election gains.
Why it matters
The selloff reflects investor reassessment of the outlook for AI infrastructure spending, while concerns about possible restrictions on data center development added pressure to technology stocks. Retail trading activity is closely watched as a gauge of individual investor sentiment during sharp market moves.
Vanda Research figures show retail investors sold a net $151 million in individual U.S. stocks Thursday, after selling $338 million before the final hour of trading. Retail buyers purchased more than $100 million in the final 10 minutes, and the flow data does not show whether that activity persisted beyond the session.
The players
Vanda Research
Vanda Research is a firm that tracks retail investor trading flows and provided the data on individual investor activity cited in this report.
The details
Nvidia fell 9.3%, Micron Technology dropped about 17.5%, and Sandisk lost more than 22%, with all 11 S&P 500 sectors finishing lower. Retail investors bought the ProShares UltraPro QQQ (TQQQ) and Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3X Shares (SOXL) during the session.
Timeline
Thursday (Nov 6, 2026): Technology-led rout and $151 million in net retail selling.
Wednesday (Nov 5, 2026): Post-election gains that the selloff erased.
March 17, 2020: Pandemic-era retail selling totaling a net $502 million.
Market Dynamics
Thursday's retail net selling of $151 million was roughly 30% of the $502 million recorded on March 17, 2020, during the pandemic-era selloff. The comparison places the current episode well below that benchmark even as major indexes posted their steepest losses since April 2025.
Investors holding individual technology stocks or leveraged semiconductor and Nasdaq-linked funds faced sharp losses in this selloff. Households with retirement accounts tied to broad U.S. indexes should review how sector concentration in technology affects their overall allocation.
The takeaway
Sharp single-day swings in technology stocks can coincide with heavy retail trading in leveraged funds, so reviewing position sizes and sector concentration helps manage that exposure. Checking how a portfolio responds to a sudden technology rout is a practical step for any investor.
Further reading
For more on how individual investors are positioned, see the Investing section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by International Business Times.
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