Robinhood Markets Stock Surges Wednesday: Here's Why

BY Benzinga | ECONOMIC | 09/18/24 03:15 PM EDT

Robinhood Markets Inc (HOOD) shares are trading higher by 2.61% to $23.23 Wednesday afternoon after the?Federal Reserve?cut interest rates by 50 basis points.

Why This Matters: Robinhood, as a commission-free trading platform, benefits directly from increased user engagement and transaction volumes. Higher trading activity can drive revenue from order flow (payments Robinhood receives for routing customer trades).

Robinhood offers margin trading, where users can borrow money to invest. A rate cut reduces the cost of borrowing, making margin accounts more attractive to users. Lower rates can also lead to an increased margin borrowing, boosting revenue from the interest Robinhood charges on these loans.

Read Also: S&P 500, Gold Strike All-Time Highs After Fed Cuts Rates For First Time In 4 Years, Stocks Climb

What Else: Growth stocks, like Robinhood, tend to perform well in a low-interest-rate environment because future cash flows are discounted at a lower rate. Investors might view Robinhood more favorably as lower rates improve the valuation of growth companies, leading to a rise in its stock price.

Robinhood also offers cash management products, like high-yield savings accounts. While these accounts might offer slightly lower yields in a lower-rate environment, Robinhood’s spread between what it earns on customer deposits and what it pays out could remain favorable, potentially increasing its profitability.

Read Also: SEC Approves Major Overhaul Of US Equity Markets, Largest Reform In Two Decades

How To Buy HOOD Stock

Besides going to a brokerage platform to purchase a share – or fractional share – of stock, you can also gain access to shares either by buying an exchange traded fund (ETF) that holds the stock itself, or by allocating yourself to a strategy in your 401(k) that would seek to acquire shares in a mutual fund or other instrument.

For example, in Robinhood Markets’ case, it is in the Financials sector. An ETF will likely hold shares in many liquid and large companies that help track that sector, allowing an investor to gain exposure to the trends within that segment.

In general the bond market is volatile, and fixed income securities carry interest rate risk. (As interest rates rise, bond prices usually fall, and vice versa. This effect is usually more pronounced for longer-term securities.) Fixed income securities also carry inflation risk and credit and default risks for both issuers and counterparties. Unlike individual bonds, most bond funds do not have a maturity date, so avoiding losses caused by price volatility by holding them until maturity is not possible.

Lower-quality debt securities generally offer higher yields, but also involve greater risk of default or price changes due to potential changes in the credit quality of the issuer. Any fixed income security sold or redeemed prior to maturity may be subject to loss.

Before investing, consider the funds' investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses. Contact Fidelity for a prospectus or, if available, a summary prospectus containing this information. Read it carefully.

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