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Is Robinhood (NASDAQ: HOOD) trying to dethrone Goldman Sachs? Not quite, but it is slowly creeping toward becoming an investment bank for its individual client traders.
2026 is turning into the hottest initial public offering (IPO) year on record for capital raised, and Robinhood wants to turn that into value for its customers. For the first time ever, Robinhood will be an underwriter for an IPO, which will help deliver IPO allocations directly to its customers and generate direct revenue.
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Does that make Robinhood stock a buy today?
Underwriting the Oura IPO
Soon, the smart ring and health insights company Oura Ring will go publicnks as a part of the IPO process and has chosen 18 banks to work with
The last bank on the list is a surprise: Robinhood. The brokerage for individual investors is, for the first time, going to underwrite an IPO, meaning Oura will use it to sell stock directly to its Robinhood clients. This differs from Robinhood’s previous IPO program for its customers, which simply served as an intermediary connecting clients to IPO allocations.
Now it can sell common stock directly to its customers, which could help it gain a competitive edge over other brokerages. If Robinhood is the best app for securing IPO allocations, it could drive greater customer adoption.
Emerging beyond just a brokerage
Robinhood’s brokerage business is doing well today. Last quarter, transaction revenue grew 44% year over year to $776 million even as cryptocurrency revenue collapsed. This is due to steady growth from its stock-and-options trading platforms, along with rapid growth from its new events trading platform, which is similar to prediction markets like Polymarket.
In personal finance, Robinhood has moved toward becoming more of a bank, aiming to attract deposits and customers for its credit cards. Its “other” revenue grew 54% to $143 million last quarter, and it now says it has 13 business lines with annualized revenue of $100 million or more. This is much more than just a stock trading platform.
It recently launched a high-fee benefits card called Robinhood Platinum (stealing directly from the American Express brand) that could drive even more payments and subscription revenue. Robinhood’s average revenue per user (ARPU) grew 24% year over year last quarter to $187 and has grown by 14% annually since 2020.
