Stock trading statistics at a glance
Stock trading stayed large, active, and highly concentrated in 2024, with multiple layers of activity moving at once: market capitalization, issuance, trading volume, retirement assets, and broker-dealer economics. The numbers below show how broad the ecosystem is, and how much of it is driven by a relatively small set of institutions, exchanges, and public companies.
Fast facts
- Global equity market capitalization reached $126.7 trillion in 2024, up 8.7% year over year (SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book).
- Average daily trading volume for equities hit 12.2 billion shares in 2024, up 24% year over year (SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book).
- The S&P 500 closed 2024 at 5,881.63, up 23.3% year over year (SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book).
- National securities industry employment reached 1,135,500 jobs in 2024, up 1.6% year over year (SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book).
- FINRA-registered broker-dealer pre-tax net income reached $75.8 billion in 2024, up 41.3% year over year (SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book).
Key takeaways
- Stock trading activity expanded across issuance, secondary trading, and foreign participation in 2024, not just at the index level (SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book).
- The biggest public benchmarks ended 2024 higher, but the year also showed a strong mix of trading intensity and capital-raising activity (SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book).
- Broker-dealer firms remained numerous, but the firm count continued to drift lower even as revenues and profits rose (SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book; FINRA Industry Snapshot).
- Retirement assets remain a major part of the trading and investing landscape, with IRAs, pensions, and annuities making up a large share of total assets (SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book).
Table of contents
- How big stock trading was in 2024
- Trading volume and market structure
- Issuance, IPOs, and M&A
- Broker-dealer and industry economics
- Issuers, listings, and public-company counts
- Retirement assets and the investing base
- Participation, orders, and venue mix
- What the 2024 numbers suggest for stock trading
How big stock trading was in 2024
The broadest way to read stock trading statistics is to start with market size and move outward. On that measure, 2024 was enormous. Global equity market capitalization rose to $126.7 trillion, while foreign gross activity in U.S. securities climbed to $134.7 trillion (SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book). Those figures point to a market that is not only huge, but deeply connected across borders.
At a glance
- Global equity market capitalization: $126.7 trillion in 2024, up 8.7% (SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book).
- Foreign gross activity in U.S. securities: $134.7 trillion in 2024, up 33.8% (SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book).
- Total equity issuance: $504.8 billion in 2024, up 21.5% (SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book).
- Equity issuance excluding SPACs: $222.9 billion in 2024, up 60.9% (SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book).
- IPO deal value: $31.4 billion in 2024, up 55.9% (SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book).
- Secondary offerings: $169.8 billion in 2024, up 59.2% (SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book).
The growth profile matters as much as the absolute size. Issuance increased faster than the overall market-capitalization base, which suggests a more active financing environment than a simple price-only rally would imply (SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book).
Trading volume and market structure
Trading volume is where stock trading statistics become more concrete. The 2024 numbers show a market with a high daily turnover and a layered venue structure underneath it.
Average daily trading volume for equities reached 12.2 billion shares in 2024, up 24% year over year (SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book). That is a strong sign that market activity was not limited to a few high-profile sessions. It was sustained enough to lift the yearly average across the full market.
Market structure snapshot
| Metric | 2024 figure | Year-over-year change | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average daily trading volume for equities | 12.2 billion shares | +24% | SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book |
| S&P 500 close | 5,881.63 | +23.3% | SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book |
| Nasdaq Composite close | 19,310.79 | +28.6% | SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book |
| Dow Jones Industrial Average close | 42,544.22 | +12.9% | SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book |
| Russell 2000 close | 2,230.16 | +10.0% | SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book |
The benchmark performance table matters because it gives context to the trading data. The Nasdaq Composite gained 28.6%, outpacing the S&P 500’s 23.3% and the Dow’s 12.9% (SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book). That spread suggests that index composition and sector mix continued to matter for trading behavior and investor interest.
Why it matters
- A higher daily share-count average points to sustained participation, not just a short-term spike.
- Index performance can influence turnover, options activity, and attention, even when the underlying company counts move differently.
- The small-cap Russell 2000 closed at 2,230.16, up 10.0%, which shows that gains were not confined only to the largest names (SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book).
Issuance, IPOs, and M&A
Stock trading statistics are not only about secondary trading. They also describe the pipeline of new shares and corporate transactions feeding public markets.
In 2024, total equity issuance reached $504.8 billion (SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book). That included $31.4 billion in IPO deal value and $169.8 billion in secondary offerings (SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book). The distinction matters: IPOs show fresh listings, while secondary offerings show existing public companies returning to the market for additional capital.
Issuance comparison table
| Category | 2024 figure | Year-over-year change | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total equity issuance | $504.8 billion | +21.5% | SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book |
| Equity issuance excluding SPACs | $222.9 billion | +60.9% | SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book |
| IPO deal value | $31.4 billion | +55.9% | SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book |
| Secondary offerings | $169.8 billion | +59.2% | SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book |
Big number: equity issuance excluding SPACs rose to $222.9 billion, up 60.9% year over year (SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book). That is a strong sign that issuance strength was not dependent on a single deal format.
M&A also remained important in 2024. Announced U.S. M&A deal value totaled $1.6 trillion, up 9.9% year over year, while completed U.S. M&A deal value reached $1.4 trillion, down 2.8% year over year (SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book). That combination suggests a healthy announcement pipeline with somewhat softer completed volume.
Practical read on the deal data
- IPOs and secondary offerings both accelerated sharply.
- Announced deal value outpaced completed deal value, which can happen when more transactions are proposed than ultimately closed in a year.
- The issuance mix points to a market that remained functional for both growth capital and refinancing activity (SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book).
Broker-dealer and industry economics
A stock market is not just prices and volume. It is also a business network of broker-dealers, employees, revenues, and expenses. The 2024 data show a sector that became more profitable even as the number of registered firms continued to edge down.
FINRA-registered broker-dealers numbered 3,249 in 2024, down 1.5% year over year (SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book). At the same time, gross revenues totaled $641.0 billion, up 5.9%, while pre-tax net income reached $75.8 billion, up 41.3% (SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book). Expenses also rose, but only 2.4%, to $565.2 billion (SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book).
Broker-dealer snapshot
| Metric | 2024 figure | Year-over-year change | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| FINRA-registered broker-dealers | 3,249 | -1.5% | SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book |
| Gross revenues | $641.0 billion | +5.9% | SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book |
| Total expenses | $565.2 billion | +2.4% | SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book |
| Pre-tax net income | $75.8 billion | +41.3% | SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book |
| National securities industry employment | 1,135,500 jobs | +1.6% | SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book |
The earnings profile is especially notable because revenue growth and expense growth did not move at the same pace. That widening spread helped pre-tax income rise faster than either the top line or the cost base (SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book).
What changed inside the industry
- The industry stayed large in absolute terms, with more than 1.1 million jobs (SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book).
- The firm count moved lower, but the remaining firms generated more revenue and profit per unit of activity (SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book).
- Margin improvement can show up in years where trading activity, issuance, and market levels all reinforce one another.
Issuers, listings, and public-company counts
Another useful angle on stock trading statistics is the number of companies and other securities issuers in the public market. In 2024, many issuer categories declined from 2023 even as trading activity remained strong.
Total reporting issuers fell to 7,902 in 2024 from 8,351 in 2023 (SEC Reporting Issuers). U.S.-domiciled exchange-listed companies declined to 3,929 from 4,185, and foreign-domiciled exchange-listed companies declined to 937 from 977 (SEC Reporting Issuers).
Issuer-count changes
- Total reporting issuers: 7,902 in 2024, down from 8,351 in 2023 (SEC Reporting Issuers).
- U.S.-domiciled exchange-listed companies: 3,929 in 2024, down from 4,185 in 2023 (SEC Reporting Issuers).
- Foreign-domiciled exchange-listed companies: 937 in 2024, down from 977 in 2023 (SEC Reporting Issuers).
- ADR reporting issuers: 394 in 2024, down from 411 in 2023 (SEC Reporting Issuers).
- REIT reporting issuers: 197 in 2024, down from 205 in 2023 (SEC Reporting Issuers).
- Closed-end funds: 58 in 2024, up from 51 in 2023 (SEC Reporting Issuers).
- Asset-backed securities reporting issuers: 782 in 2024, up from 768 in 2023 (SEC Reporting Issuers).
The issuer counts show a market that is not simply expanding in every category at once. Some categories contracted, while others grew modestly. That kind of mixed movement is common in mature public markets and helps explain why trading statistics need more than one headline figure.
Retirement assets and the investing base
Retail and institutional stock trading activity sits inside a much larger asset base. In 2024, U.S. retirement assets rose to $49.6 trillion, up 8.5% year over year (SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book). That base included several major components with different weights.
Retirement asset mix
| Category | 2024 figure | Share of total retirement assets | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| IRAs | $17.0 trillion | 34.3% | SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book |
| Government pensions | - | 29.2% | SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book |
| Private pensions | $13.6 trillion | 27.5% | SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book |
| Annuities | - | 9.0% | SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book |
IRAs represented 34.3% of total U.S. retirement assets in 2024 (SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book). That makes them the largest cited share in the dataset, ahead of government pensions at 29.2% and private pensions at 27.5% (SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book).
This matters for stock trading because retirement accounts help anchor long-term participation in the market. The asset mix suggests a broad and persistent investing base, not just short-term trading interest.
Why the asset mix matters
- Retirement assets create long-duration demand for equities and equity-linked products.
- IRAs alone controlled more than a third of the total retirement asset base in 2024 (SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book).
- The scale of retirement assets helps explain why changes in market capitalization and trading volumes can coexist with long-horizon investing behavior.
Participation, orders, and venue mix
The detailed trading data for NMS stocks and OTC equities show how orders and transactions were distributed across venues and account types in 2023, which is useful context for a stock trading statistics article focused on market structure.
Total average daily NMS stock transactions were 74.086791 million in 2023, with 51.697501 million on exchanges, 11.905844 million on ATSs, and 10.483445 million on non-ATS OTC venues (FINRA Industry Snapshot). Total average daily NMS stock dollar volume was $516.5 billion, including $300.3 billion on exchanges, $68.8 billion on ATSs, and $147.4 billion on non-ATS OTC venues (FINRA Industry Snapshot).
Venue split table
| Venue | Average daily NMS stock transactions (2023) | Average daily NMS stock dollar volume (2023) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exchanges | 51.697501 million | $300.3 billion | FINRA Industry Snapshot |
| ATSs | 11.905844 million | $68.8 billion | FINRA Industry Snapshot |
| Non-ATS OTC venues | 10.483445 million | $147.4 billion | FINRA Industry Snapshot |
| Total | 74.086791 million | $516.5 billion | FINRA Industry Snapshot |
The share mix across venues is important. Exchanges handled the largest transaction count, while OTC venues still accounted for a substantial slice of dollar volume (FINRA Industry Snapshot). That means stock trading cannot be understood as exchange-only behavior.
Order mix by account type
For average daily NMS stock orders in 2023:
- Institutional accounts placed 83% of orders (FINRA Industry Snapshot).
- Individual and employee accounts placed 15% of orders (FINRA Industry Snapshot).
- Other customer accounts placed 2% of orders (FINRA Industry Snapshot).
The raw order counts reinforce that balance:
- Institutional accounts: 813.7 million average daily NMS stock orders (FINRA Industry Snapshot).
- Individual and employee accounts: 142.0 million average daily NMS stock orders (FINRA Industry Snapshot).
- Other customer accounts: 19.9 million average daily NMS stock orders (FINRA Industry Snapshot).
- Total: 975.5 million average daily NMS stock orders (FINRA Industry Snapshot).
OTC equity order mix
The OTC side is more mixed:
- Institutional accounts placed 72% of average daily OTC equity orders in 2023 (FINRA Industry Snapshot).
- Other customer accounts placed 23% (FINRA Industry Snapshot).
- Individual and employee accounts placed 5% (FINRA Industry Snapshot).
That split matters because it shows how the structure of participation changes when the trading venue changes. The same broad market can look very different depending on whether you measure NMS stocks or OTC equities.
What the 2024 numbers suggest for stock trading
The strongest pattern in the dataset is that stock trading remained active on multiple fronts at the same time. Market cap rose, issuance rose, trading volume rose, and broker-dealer profits rose. At the same time, issuer counts and firm counts generally moved lower in several categories (SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book; SEC Reporting Issuers; FINRA Industry Snapshot).
Notable patterns from the dataset
- Scale and activity moved together: $126.7 trillion in global equity market capitalization and 12.2 billion average daily equity shares traded in 2024 (SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book).
- Issuance was broad-based: total equity issuance, IPO value, and secondary offerings all increased sharply in 2024 (SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book).
- Industry profitability improved faster than revenue: broker-dealer pre-tax net income rose 41.3%, much faster than gross revenues at 5.9% (SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book).
- Public-company counts were smaller: total reporting issuers fell to 7,902, even as the trading ecosystem remained highly liquid (SEC Reporting Issuers).
- Institutional participation dominated order flow: 83% of average daily NMS stock orders came from institutional accounts in 2023 (FINRA Industry Snapshot).
A compact read on stock trading behavior
- The market’s size remained enormous, and the daily trading base was deep enough to support strong year-over-year growth.
- Capital raising accelerated, especially in IPOs and secondary offerings.
- Broker-dealer economics improved meaningfully, which usually reflects a healthy combination of volume, spreads, and activity mix.
- Public-market participation stayed structurally concentrated, especially on the institutional side.
- Retirement assets remained large enough to anchor long-term equity demand even when issuer counts moved lower.
Stat highlights worth remembering
- $126.7 trillion global equity market capitalization in 2024 (SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book).
- 12.2 billion shares average daily equity trading volume in 2024 (SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book).
- $75.8 billion pre-tax net income for FINRA-registered broker-dealers in 2024 (SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book).
- 7,902 reporting issuers in 2024, down from 8,351 in 2023 (SEC Reporting Issuers).
- 74.086791 million average daily NMS stock transactions in 2023 (FINRA Industry Snapshot).
Stock trading statistics work best when you read them as a system. The market is large, the venue mix is layered, and the financing side is active enough to keep issuance and M&A in motion alongside day-to-day trading flow.