Dave Portnoy Blasts Robinhood After Company Restricts Trading on GameStop, AMC, and Others

Leah Barkoukis | January 28, 2021 10:30 AM

Robinhood, a trading app that claims to 'democratize finance for all,' is facing intense backlash after removing a number of names from its platform Thursday before the market opened.

GameStop, Nokia, AMC Entertainment Holdings, Bed Bath & Beyond, BlackBerry, Koss Corp., and Naked Brand Group were restricted to “position closing only,” meaning traders could only sell their existing holdings, not buy additional shares.

The stocks that were removed have all surged in recent trading sessions as day-traders united in Reddit forums like WallStreetBets frenetically buy the names to push their share prices higher. The phenomenon has already fueled massive losses for numerous hedge funds and caught the attention of regulators and the White House. (Business Insider)

In a statement, the company said the changes were made due to "recent volatility" and that it was "committed to helping our customers."

We continuously monitor the markets and make changes where necessary. In light of recent volatility, we are restricting transactions for certain securities to position closing only, including $AMC, $BB, $BBBY, $EXPR, $GME, $KOSS, $NAKD and $NOK. We also raised margin requirements for certain securities.
…
We’re committed to helping our customers navigate this uncertainty. We fundamentally believe that everyone should have access to financial markets. We’re humbled to have helped many people invest in the markets for the first time. And we’re determined to provide new and experienced investors with the tools and resources to help them invest responsibly for their long-term financial futures. (Robinhood)