Retail Investors, AI, and Next-Gen Earnings Calls
2025 is off to an exciting start in the world of capital markets with big announcements from Robinhood, NYSE (ICE), and Reddit. Plus, how the world’s top surfers play the markets in-between contests.
The pace of innovation across our capital markets continues to increase. Driven by more data and the advent of LLM technologies, both companies and investors are deploying new tools at a rapid rate. Retail Investors, for their part, are demanding more access, transparency, and communication from public companies. The latest earnings cycle showcased new formats, new players, and new levels of engagement, reinforcing that investor relations is evolving to include investor marketing.
Robinhood reshaped the earnings call experience, making it feel more like a post-game show and inviting retail analysts to participate live.
ICE (Intercontinental Exchange) launched the NYSE IPO Index, providing investors with a structured way to track companies that recently went public.
Social sentiment is becoming institutionalized, as ICE partnered with Reddit to provide hedge funds and financial firms access to retail-driven investment data.
AI-powered earnings analysis is emerging, with tools like Box AI summarizing earnings calls instantly.
Retail investor culture continues to expand, as even pro surfers, led by legends like Shane Dorian and Kelly Slater, now host annual investing competitions.
The big takeaway? Investor communication is evolving from static financial reports into a dynamic, interactive, and community-driven experience. The companies that embrace this shift will build stronger shareholder loyalty and market credibility.
Robinhood’s Radical Rethink of Earnings Calls
Earnings season has always been about numbers, guidance, and investor sentiment. But this quarter, something different happened—companies fundamentally changed how they communicate with investors. Robinhood took one of the most traditional aspects of investor relations—the earnings call—and flipped it into an interactive, high-energy experience.
Post-Game Show Vibe: Instead of a dry call, Robinhood hosted its earnings discussion in a casual, high-energy environment that felt more like a sports post-game show than a financial presentation.
Retail Analysts Got a Seat at the Table: Typically, only institutional analysts ask questions during earnings calls. Robinhood invited retail analysts—representing its largest shareholder segment—to ask live questions alongside Wall Street analysts.
A Model for Scalable Engagement: Robinhood is proving that companies can make earnings calls more engaging without losing credibility. The real innovation is not just in the format but in making it repeatable and scalable for other companies.
This move sets a precedent for the industry. The pressure is now on for other public companies to rethink how they engage investors beyond institutional audiences.
ICE’s IPO Index and Retail Sentiment Partnership with Reddit
ICE, the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, made two major announcements that signal a fundamental shift in how the financial markets track and engage with emerging companies.
1. The NYSE IPO Index: Spotlighting New Market Entrants
ICE introduced the NYSE IPO Index (NYSE: IPO), a benchmark that tracks newly public companies for three years after their listing.
This index provides investors with a structured way to monitor the performance of fresh IPOs, capturing how these companies integrate into the market over time.
Companies need a minimum market cap of $200 million and an average daily trading volume of $1 million to be included.
ICE’s research found that NYSE-listed IPOs have a distinct risk-return profile, often providing excess returns compared to broader indices.
The index arrives at a time of renewed IPO interest, with AI-related companies and other emerging sectors expected to drive strong market activity in 2025.
For companies considering going public, this index signals increased visibility for new entrants, making it even more critical to refine their investor messaging, brand identity, and post-IPO engagement strategies.
2. ICE & Reddit’s Partnership: Institutionalizing Retail Sentiment
For years, retail investors have used platforms like Reddit and StockTwits to share insights, debate stock picks, and, in some cases, move markets. Now, ICE’s partnership with Reddit validates these conversations as a legitimate data source for institutional investors.
This collaboration enables hedge funds and financial firms to analyze retail-driven investment trends in real time, proving that retail sentiment is not just noise—it’s market-moving intelligence.
For companies, this partnership sends a clear message:
Retail investor engagement is more critical than ever.
Social listening should be part of every investor relations strategy.
Retail-driven narratives can impact stock prices as much as institutional analyst reports.
Stakeholder Labs helps companies navigate this landscape by providing real-time social listening tools and AI-driven investor sentiment analysis, ensuring companies stay ahead of the conversation.
AI-Powered Investor Research & Box AI’s Earnings Call Summaries via Grok
Another major trend emerging from this earnings cycle is the use of AI-powered analysis for investor research.
Box AI showcased how investors can use AI-driven document analysis to instantly summarize and extract key insights from earnings calls.
AI-powered research tools are increasingly being used to analyze transcripts, identify sentiment trends, and surface critical data points for investors.
For companies, this means that structuring IR content for AI readability is now a strategic priority. IR websites, FAQs, and reports need to be optimized for AI-driven research tools, ensuring that AI platforms pull accurate and meaningful insights.
Retail Investing Culture Goes Mainstream—Even in Surfing
The expansion of retail investing isn’t just happening in finance circles—it’s spreading into unexpected communities, like professional surfing.
A group of legendary surfers, led by Shane Dorian, Kelly Slater, and the Florence brothers, has been hosting an annual investor competition. The concept? Who can generate the best portfolio returns each year.
At first glance, this might seem like a niche story. But it represents something much larger: financial literacy and investing culture are expanding across all communities.
The investing world is no longer confined to Wall Street or the business adjacent—it’s in group chats, on social media, and even competitions amongst pro athletes. Companies that recognize and engage with these expanding investor communities will be the ones that build the most loyal shareholder bases.
The Future of Investor Engagement is Here
The evolution of investor relations is no longer theoretical—it’s happening in real time. From interactive earnings calls and AI-powered research to the institutionalization of retail sentiment, the way companies engage with investors is fundamentally changing. Companies that embrace this shift will not only build stronger relationships with their shareholders but also enhance their market credibility and long-term value. The message is clear: investor relations is no longer just about reporting numbers—it’s about storytelling, accessibility, and engagement. As retail investors continue to gain influence and AI reshapes how financial data is consumed, forward-thinking companies must adapt or risk being left behind.
Stakeholder Labs builds software for public companies that want to up level their shareholder analytics and engagement to support long-term growth. Contact us to learn more.