Retail traders dont give a damn about the stock market anymore

[risktaker]

There's a lot of blogs out there on the stock market but when you dig a little deeper, many of these people will admit to not trading/no positions and are writing a blog for other reasons.

The same for many of the media/internet sites. It's their job to create hoopla but the fact is the public is now disinterested.

...look at etrade's, TDAmeritrade's, Schwab active trader revenues...they keep declining.

 

[ElCubano]

Quote from Elcubana:

Yes this is very true. One of the first and best Internet sites for tradingmarkets.com has been running the same posts over and over again. Looks like they will be closing down shop soon. Interest is finished in the stock market.

 

[IanMacQuaide]

Quote from Vulcan Trader:

Most people that complain about the markets are those that are unable to derive consistency from trading. The losers always complain after they lose they have to blame somebody so why not blame the market. However when their winning they say I'm a genius I'm a guru let me teach you how to trade. This Bear market has kicked many a guru in the face. Ask yourself where are all those trading rooms from the 90's? In a Bull market everyone's a great trader. In a Bear market they shout we need financial reform so that its illegal for the market to ever go down. They want you to go to jail if your short this market. They want to make it impossible to make money on the down side. Only the elite want to be able to short. I say let those that can trade do so without gov't interference. The markets need to be free markets. They need to do away with the uptick rule and the pattern day trader rule. We don't need the gov't to protect us. We need the gov't to stay out of the free markets and stay out of corporations. Its not the job of the gov't to run companies. Its not the gov't job to run hedgefunds or private equity funds.

I forget who posted this on ET, and I apologize for not attributing it to the correct author, however, it's just too good cuz it's too true.

If a conservative doesn't like guns, he doesn`t buy one.
If a liberal doesn't like guns, he wants all guns outlawed.

If a conservative is a vegetarian, he doesn`t eat meat.
If a liberal is a vegetarian, he wants all meat products banned for everyone.

If a conservative doesn't like a talk show host, he switches channels.
If a liberal doesn't like a talk show host, he demands that they be shut down.

If a conservative is a non-believer, he doesn't go to church.
If a liberal is a non-believer, he wants any mention of God and religion silenced.

If a conservative decides he needs health care, he goes about shopping for it, or may choose a job
that provides it.
If a liberal decides he needs health care, he demands that the rest of us pay for it.

 

[FutsTrader111]

Quote from promagma:

Good thread ... the market is a bunch of computers looking at each other.

Retail interest will come back .... things will change again .... we will have another 1999 .... someday

Over the years I have been against HFT machines, especially those situated at the very data center of the exchange. There needs to be something done about this from the government. It is wrong to have unfair competitive business practices situated in the very institution that is running the markets.

Liqudity is now in the hands of machines churning for pennies. It takes into account nothing more than order flow and when that order flow decreases, it generates it through maniupulative practices that damage the instrument it trades.

Each box is now the equivalent of a slot machine with its own algo. The box doesnt give a shit about the state of the economy. It takes into account very little about the company it represents. All it cares about is fucking other machines over to rip off that one penny. Its it own cash machine. Just load her up and let her run.

Its total bullshit especially when the box can "see" order flow in milliseconds faster than you can. This is in no way a market but a rigged game. When you see the exchanges allowing this type of behavior it says it needs help in providing liquidity.

The exchange now has little liability. It provides the environment and takes its fees. This new business model is not in the interest of "investors". Having the need for stock exchanges is now no longer needed. It serves the public with no social benefit whatsoever. Gone are the days of the original intent - to provide a means to raise capital for a new upcoming business. Today it is all about sustaining a company as bagholders have to trip over themselves to get in and out.

 

[businessstaxes]

the stock market or the financial markets has been always been a playground for the rich. the average joe retail investor don't have the fund to invest and is better off investing in their own house or invest in their own business or paying off credit cards.

most average joe are in the market via their pensions and company retirement plans. or gov't pensions and gov't investment plans and life insurance companies.. everybody has life insurance... institutions is how average joe is in the market whether they want to or not. even the gov't is in the market whether they want to or not.

Quote from FutsTrader111:

Really, most don't give a shit any more. They are looking more for capital preservation than taking on bets in a market that is full of bullshit.

The wall street game is slowly losing interest. I sense that with the people I talk to most between the ages of 30-50yo. The younger crowd doesn't follow the markets much - most don't even save. They put it in their 401K funds at work and choose the most conservative fund. Most I talked to just leave it in money market and a few just spreading it out among index funds.

 

[tomdavis]

As much as I would love to see it happen, I don't think we will ever see another 1999 again. That was just too easy. But I do agree with you that markets, and everything associated with them, move in cycles. Retail interest will eventually return.

Quote from promagma:

Good thread ... the market is a bunch of computers looking at each other.

Retail interest will come back .... things will change again .... we will have another 1999 .... someday

 

[NoDoji]

Quote from IanMacQuaide:

I forget who posted this on ET, and I apologize for not attributing it to the correct author, however, it's just too good cuz it's too true.

If a conservative doesn't like guns, he doesn`t buy one.
If a liberal doesn't like guns, he wants all guns outlawed.

If a conservative is a vegetarian, he doesn`t eat meat.
If a liberal is a vegetarian, he wants all meat products banned for everyone.

If a conservative doesn't like a talk show host, he switches channels.
If a liberal doesn't like a talk show host, he demands that they be shut down.

If a conservative is a non-believer, he doesn't go to church.
If a liberal is a non-believer, he wants any mention of God and religion silenced.

If a conservative decides he needs health care, he goes about shopping for it, or may choose a job
that provides it.
If a liberal decides he needs health care, he demands that the rest of us pay for it.

If a liberal doesn't like abortions, she doesn't get one.
If a conservative doesn't like abortions, s/he wants abortions made illegal.

If a liberal doesn't like the Harry Potter series, s/he doesn't read it.
If a conservative doesn't like the Harry Potter series, s/he wants it banned from the schools.

If a liberal doesn't like lewd and lascivious music, s/he doesn't buy it or listen to it.
If a conservative doesn't like lewd and lascivious music, s/he wants it banned from Wal-Mart.

If a liberal who's been laid off during the recession and unable to get a job for over a year chalks up huge medical bills due to a major illness or accident and can't pay those bills, s/he declares bankruptcy.

If a conservative who's been laid off during the recession and unable to get a job for over a year chalks up huge medical bills due to a major illness or accident and can't pay those bills, s/he declares bankruptcy.

If you're a liberal or a conservative who thinks it's us vs. them, I suggest taking a multi-month break from blogs, television, and talk shows and reading some Noam Chomsky.

And in keeping with the spirit of this thread:

We had a big multi-family dinner with several friends last night and every one of them either never got back into the market after the 2008 crash, or if they did, they cashed out last week.

 

[achilles28]

Quote from IanMacQuaide:

I forget who posted this on ET, and I apologize for not attributing it to the correct author, however, it's just too good cuz it's too true.

If a conservative doesn't like guns, he doesn`t buy one.
If a liberal doesn't like guns, he wants all guns outlawed.

If a conservative is a vegetarian, he doesn`t eat meat.
If a liberal is a vegetarian, he wants all meat products banned for everyone.

If a conservative doesn't like a talk show host, he switches channels.
If a liberal doesn't like a talk show host, he demands that they be shut down.

If a conservative is a non-believer, he doesn't go to church.
If a liberal is a non-believer, he wants any mention of God and religion silenced.

If a conservative decides he needs health care, he goes about shopping for it, or may choose a job
that provides it.
If a liberal decides he needs health care, he demands that the rest of us pay for it.

Perfect