Q1 2025 Trader Client Sentiment Survey

A quarterly study exploring the outlooks, expectations, trading patterns and points of view of clients at Charles Schwab–who actively trade equities or trade options, futures, or forex.
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Key Findings

  • Two out of three traders believe the market is currently overvalued and cite mega cap tech and AI stocks among the most crowded trades. 
     
  • The bulls continue to outnumber the bears among traders 51% to 34%. Those numbers are consistent with the sentiment found during the fourth quarter of last year when 53% of traders were bulls and 31% were bears. 
     
  • Notably, there’s been a spike in bullishness among traders under the age of 40 from less than half in 4Q ’24 to nearly six in ten now.
     
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About the survey

The Charles Schwab Trader Sentiment Survey is a quarterly study exploring the outlooks, expectations, trading patterns and points of view of clients at Charles Schwab–who actively trade equities or trade options, futures, or forex. The study included 1,040 Active Trader clients at Charles Schwab and was fielded from January 8-17, 2025.

Media Contact: Margaret Farrell

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