Retail Investors Pour Record $155B Into Stocks as Dip-Buying Strategy Delivers Strong Returns

America has been seeing red everywhere, yet retail investors found ways to paint their accounts green. According to VandaTrack, individual traders have pumped a record-breaking $155B into US equities and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) throughout 2025, eclipsing even the legendary meme-stock frenzy of 2021. Their relentless dip-buying paid off with Bank of America noting that buying the Nasdaq 100 only after daily drops would’ve returned 31% this year — crushing the index’s 7.8% gain.

• Despite tariffs rattling markets in April, retail investors doubled down on their buy-the-dip philosophy, with VandaTrack’s Marco Iachini confirming their “dip-buying bias is fully intact.”
• This year’s dip-buying performance marks the strongest showing since early 2020 and ranks as the second-best return in Bank of America’sBAC
  dataset stretching back to 1985.

Faith pays dividends: Wall Street banks like Goldman SachsGS

and Bank of America have shifted their outlooks and joined JPMorgan ChaseJPM

and others in raising their S&P 500 targets from 6% to 11% over the next year. Visdom Investment Group Mike Zigmont believes, “Pops and drops will occur… but the dip-buying belief has become the new religion.” Still, if you missed the rally, don’t worry — with earnings season around the corner, now’s the perfect time to revisit our article on how to invest as a retail investor and catch up with the winners.