Robinhood warns of lower trading revenue in third quarter

FILE PHOTO: The logo of Robinhood Markets, Inc. is seen at a pop-up event on Wall Street after the company’s IPO in New York City, U.S., July 29, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

(Reuters) -Robinhood Markets Inc said on Wednesday that lower trading activity was likely to affect its third quarter, after it reported a 131% jump in second-quarter revenue fueled in part by a surge in cryptocurrency trading.

Shares of Robinhood, owner of the trading app that emerged as the gateway for investors seeking to get in on this year’s mania for so-called meme stocks, were recently down 5.32% in aftermarket trading after the brokerage said the current quarter will also be affected by fewer funded accounts.

It will also record a one-time charge of $1 billion in stock-based compensation related to its initial public offering last month.

Robinhood’s platform allows users to make unlimited commission-free trades in stocks, exchange-traded funds, options and cryptocurrencies. Its simple interface made it popular with investors trading from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, helping to spark breathtaking moves in the shares of companies such as Gamestop Corp and AMC Entertainment Holdings this year.

“They expected three months ago that September will be seasonally weak,” said Chaim Siegel, analyst at Elazar Advisors. Now “it sounds like either they’re seeing signs of that building and getting a little more concerned about what they see for the current quarter.”

The company posted net revenue of $565 million for the quarter ended June 30 compared with $244 million a year earlier.

Transaction-based revenue for the quarter rose 141% to $451 million, of which cryptocurrency trading comprised $233 million. Crypto trading revenue was only $5 million a year ago.

Robinhood enraged some investors and U.S. lawmakers earlier this year when it restricted trading in some popular stocks following a 10-fold rise in deposit requirements at its clearinghouse. It has been at the center of many regulatory probes.

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