Most of it. Around 70 percent of US equity trading volume is generated by algorithmic systems, with estimates across major global markets landing in the 60 to 75 percent range. High-frequency firms are only about 2 percent of trading firms yet account for roughly 73 percent of equity volume. Meanwhile individual investors reached a record 35 percent of market participation. The machines set the pace; knowing that is the starting point. Educational, not advice.
What the numbers actually say
- Roughly 70 percent of US volume is automated — Many market analyses put algorithmic systems at about 60 to 75 percent of trading volume in the US and other developed equity markets, with a commonly cited figure of around 70 percent for US stocks. In emerging markets like India the share is lower, estimated near 40 to 55 percent, but rising fast.
- A tiny number of firms drive most of the flow — High-frequency trading firms make up only about 2 percent of trading firms, yet they generate roughly 73 percent of equity trading volume. A handful of technically advanced players move a large majority of what happens on the tape each day.
- Institutions hold most of the algorithmic share — By trader type, institutional investors accounted for about 61 percent of the algorithmic-trading market in recent measures. The tools that dominate the tape are concentrated in the hands of large, well-resourced players -- though retail access is the fastest-growing slice.
- Retail is now a real share of participation — Individual investors reached a record 35 percent of overall market participation in 2025, up sharply from pre-pandemic levels. That means ordinary investors and momentum-driven algorithms increasingly interact -- a structural shift in how prices move day to day.
What percentage of trading is algorithmic?
Across US and other developed equity markets, the widely cited range is about 60 to 75 percent of volume, with roughly 70 percent often used for US stocks specifically. Emerging markets tend to run lower. You may see a 89 percent figure circulating, but it traces to a single source with no disclosed methodology, so the 60 to 75 percent range is the sounder read. Educational, not advice.
Do algorithms control stock prices?
They heavily influence near-term movement because they generate most of the volume, but they act on rules and conditions set by people and data, not on their own view. Prices still ultimately reflect the underlying economic environment; the machines mainly speed up how fast that gets reflected. Educational, not advice.
How does an individual keep up with the machines?
Not on speed -- that race is lost. The edge is context: reading the same public economic conditions the machines are reacting to. The free daily read publishes which of four market environments today shows, in plain English, in the Morning Brief and daily video. Free, educational, not advice.
The current numbers behind this reading
The macro regime above is read from public economic data. Here are several of the underlying releases, each shown with its original source and release date:
- According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, consumer price inflation was 3.4% year over year as of August 2026.
- According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate was 4.1% as of August 2026.
- According to the Federal Reserve, the federal funds rate was 3.63% as of August 2026.
- According to the University of Michigan, consumer sentiment was 55.2 as of July 2026.
- According to the U.S. Treasury, the 10-year Treasury yield was 4.95% as of September 10, 2026.
- According to the Federal Reserve (ICE BofA U.S. High Yield index), the high-yield credit spread was 270 basis points as of September 10, 2026.
- According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, the Atlanta Fed's real-time GDP growth estimate was 4.4% annualized as of July 1, 2026.
Given Analytics reads this combination of published conditions as stagflation strong — 16 of 21 tracked economic series agree with that reading. That is a description of the environment already visible in the data, updated every trading day. It says nothing about what happens next.
What was actually missing
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What this teaches — and who it's for
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How current is this page?
This page was last reviewed on September 14, 2026; the economic figures above each carry their own official source and release date and are refreshed on a recurring cadence. The daily Morning Brief and the daily video, both free, carry the current reading in plain English. Founding access is free to try — no credit card — for the first 500 members.
Educational and informational only. Not investment advice. Given Analytics is not a registered investment adviser. Past mathematical conditions are not indicative of future results.