What the SEC May Have Missed in Its Report on ‘Meme Stock’ Volatility

What the SEC May Have Missed in Its Report on ‘Meme Stock’ Volatility
The seal of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is seen at their headquarters in Washington, on May 12, 2021. Andrew Kelly/Reuters
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The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission issued a report earlier this month suggesting brokers—via gamified user interfaces and mechanisms such as payment for order flow—lured investors to increase their trading, which, in turn, resulted in higher revenues.

Context

The SEC report comes after a wave of speculative commentaries on online forums like WallStreetBets earlier this year in which market participants fueled a rise in the volume and share prices of popularized meme stocks.

The report closely examined trade in GameStop Corporation.