Robinhood May Release IPO Filings Next Week, Report Says

Robinhood has announced plans to reveal its initial public offering (IPO) filings as soon as next week, with the popular mobile brokerage app looking at the end of June for its debut, Bloomberg reported.

That filing could give prospective investors their first look at the company’s financials, including the associated risks, the report stated.

Robinhood had previously submitted documents to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which will let the regulator look into the changes that could be needed before being approved, according to Bloomberg.

The May securities filing for the company showed that Robinhood’s payment for order flow, which is its largest revenue source, more than tripled in the first quarter, Bloomberg reported. It came out to $331 million, which was a result of its popularity with younger investors as they became more invested in the meme stock frenzy in early 2021, focused on stocks like GameStop and AMC.

Robinhood’s IPO plans are in the advanced stages, although the timing and details could change, Bloomberg reported.

The Robinhood platform allows a sort of “game-like” nature for trading, which especially shows up amidst the more inexperienced traders, regulators have said, according to Bloomberg. SEC Chairman Gary Gensler said at a congressional hearing May 6, many regulations related to trading were written prior to the recent tech that has changed the way services are used.

He said there is a “need to evaluate our rules, and we may find that we need to freshen up our rule set,” per the report.

The SEC has said it plans to look into retail brokerage apps, intending to see how those apps encourage stock trading and earn money when the trades are executed, PYMNTS reported.

According to Gensler, the chief issue is the gamification of the apps, which could be using flashy and unorthodox ways of getting individuals to trade more.

While he didn’t expound on what might need to be done, he said “disclosure alone” might not be enough.