By Medha Singh

(Reuters) – Stocktwits.com launched equities buying and selling on its social media platform for particular person traders on Tuesday, months after it introduced out crypto buying and selling, betting {that a} extra related neighborhood can navigate dire inventory markets.

A well-liked venue for exchanging buying and selling concepts, Stocktwits was among the many on-line message boards that helped retail traders band collectively to drive eye-watering good points in meme shares akin to GameStop and AMC final 12 months, squeezing bearish hedge funds.

Buying and selling will straight be obtainable on the platform by means of Stocktwits’s broker-dealer subsidiary, ST Make investments LLC, and customers can select to make their trades public, the corporate mentioned.

“You’ll be able to present your neighborhood that you just really personal the inventory that you just’re speaking about and that may assist construct belief locally,” mentioned Rishi Khanna, the chief govt officer of Stocktwits.

Buying and selling exercise of particular person traders has waned from the highs of 2021, as fears of rate of interest hikes and surging inflation dragged the S&P 500 down 19.6% this 12 months.

Stocktwits has greater than six million registered customers and a million month-to-month energetic customers. It provides commission-free and fractional inventory buying and selling, which are inclined to entice particular person traders that can’t shell out hefty per-share costs.

The New York-based firm is now targeted on launching choices buying and selling on the platform within the fourth quarter, together with a paid subscription for knowledge that analyses retail investor sentiment and exercise.

Crypto buying and selling was the primary buying and selling functionality provided by the platform in February.

The equities buying and selling choice will solely be obtainable to iOS customers initially, and will probably be adopted by releases for the online and Android variations, Stocktwits mentioned.

(Reporting by Medha Singh in Bengaluru; Enhancing by Amy Caren Daniel)