Retail Sold $338mn of Single Stocks in a Day, Beaten Only by Two Covid Sessions

Retail Sold $338mn of Single Stocks in a Day, Beaten Only by Two Covid Sessions

On 5 November, the day US stocks tumbled, retail investors net sold $338mn of single stocks. Only two days have ever seen heavier retail selling, both in March 2020.

It sounds like panic. But the same ranking carries a second message: seven of the top ten days happened this year.

■ Records fall easily when the base has changed

Retail positions are far bigger than they were before the pandemic. The same swing in sentiment now translates into a larger dollar figure, which makes it easier to break into the all-time list. Put $338mn next to the rest of 2026 and several days between July and September already came in around $250mn. The gap is narrower than the ranking suggests.

The real turn came earlier. Retail had been a net buyer for 22 straight sessions. Reversing after more than a month of buying matters more than the size of a single day.

This figure is an intraday estimate and will still move.

Source: Vanda Research (Image: @BrianSozzi)