Individual retail investors have long discussed stocks on Reddit and other social media forums, but in recent months Wall Street has had to pay attention to what they are saying. WallStreetBets, the internet forum fueling a frenzy of retail trading, briefly turned itself off to new users Wednesday after a deluge of new participants raised concerns about its ability to police content. The sharp upswing in GameStop shares has mowed down sophisticated traders who had taken short positions on the stock, betting against it. Consumer advocates say retail investors are taking risks they may not understand and incurring hidden costs that are rarely fully disclosed. The combination of accessible retail trading and social media could upend the market if not adequately policed, Galvin warned.

Source: Irish Examiner January 28, 2021 10:03 UTC