The silver (SIH26) market just offered up a perfect example of why analyzing both sides of the coin — and having a plan for both — is the only way to survive as a do-it-yourself investor. In a matter of 48 hours, the silver rush of 2026 went south. The metal plunged nearly 33% from its historic peak of $121 to a low of $76 on Jan. 30. This was the most violent single-day drop since 1980, and it exposed the fragile nature of any trade built on pure momentum. More News from Barchart The iShares Silver Tr ...

Core Insights - Retail investors in the U.S. are buying stocks at an unprecedented scale, with their favorite stocks significantly outperforming the market, rising 30% since early September compared to the S&P 500's 4.3% increase [1] - Retail trading volume has surged to a historical high, with Citigroup reporting the highest level of retail trading activity since tracking began in 2018 [2] - The current buying frenzy is linked to renewed optimism in AI stocks, alongside expectations of corporate transactions, interest rate cuts, and earnings resilience [1][2] Retail Trading Activity - Citigroup's data shows that retail trading volume has broken seasonal trends, reaching the highest level since 2018 [2] - Retail investors accelerated their weekly stock purchases to $7 billion from October 2 to October 8, up from an average of $5.3 billion over the previous two months [2] - The market is driven by a combination of FOMO (fear of missing out) and MOMO (momentum investing), with every dip seen as a buying opportunity [2] AI Stocks as a Focus - AI-related stocks remain the center of retail enthusiasm, with Dell experiencing its largest capital inflow in nearly five months, and significant buying in major companies like Tesla, Nvidia, and Meta [2] Options Market Sentiment - The options market reflects a risk-seeking sentiment, with retail gamma supply reaching a historical high of $93 billion, primarily driven by growth stocks, especially in technology and communications [3] - Retail inflows into ETFs reached $5.8 billion, the highest in nearly five months, with increased positions in precious metals ETFs [3] Quantum Computing Stocks as a Risk Point - Analysis indicates that some stocks in the retail favorite basket have shown signs of overextended momentum, particularly in the technology sector, which contributed 77% of the returns since early September [4] - Three quantum computing stocks—Rigetti Computing Inc., D-Wave Quantum Inc., and IonQ Inc.—have significantly influenced the basket's performance, and any adjustments in these stocks could disproportionately affect broader indices [4]