Webull (BULL) Stock Closes 2025 Lower as Retail Broker Stocks Fade Ahead of New Year Reopen

Retail trading platforms stumble into 2026—Webull's BULL stock mirrors sector-wide fatigue as traditional brokerage models show their age.

Year-End Slump Signals Deeper Shift

Forget the holiday rally. The closing bell of 2025 painted a sobering picture for the retail brokerage sector. Webull, alongside its peers, saw its stock price drift lower in the final sessions—a collective sigh before the New Year's reopen. It's a classic case of momentum fading when the calendar flips, exposing the thin margins and fierce competition in zero-commission trading.

The 'Finfluencer' Hangover

The era of meme-stock mania feels like a distant memory. Platforms that rode that wave now face a more discerning, perhaps disillusioned, user base. Retail investors aren't just chasing hype; they're scrutinizing execution speeds, interface polish, and that elusive edge. When every major player offers zero-commission trades, what's left to compete on besides gamification features? It’s a race to the bottom where the only winners are the market makers on the other side of your order flow.

A Cynical Footnote for Finance

Let's be real: the retail brokerage business often feels like a casino that makes its money on the chips, not the bets. The house always wins, even when the players are losing. As these stocks fade, it's a reminder that in finance, the most reliable revenue stream is often the one collected for simply facilitating the action, not predicting its outcome.

Webull and its competitors now face 2026 with a challenge: innovate beyond the basic trade or become mere utilities—essential, boring, and perpetually squeezed. The New Year reopen isn't just a fresh start; it's a reset button for an entire business model.

TLDRs;

• Webull stock closed 2025 down 2% amid light, holiday-shortened trading volumes.
• Retail brokerage peers also fell as investors turned cautious before the New Year.
• Strong revenue growth contrasts with near-term uncertainty around trading activity.
• January macro data and earnings timing may shape BULL’s early-2026 direction.

Webull Corporation (BULL) shares ended the final trading session of 2025 on a softer note, reflecting a cautious tone across U.S. equities as investors headed into the New Year holiday.

The digital brokerage’s stock closed down 2.0% at $7.77 on December 31, after moving within a relatively tight intraday range between $7.67 and $7.95. Roughly 21.3 million shares changed hands, signaling active positioning despite the holiday-shortened trading week.

The decline capped a quiet end to the year for U.S. markets, which were closed on January 1 for New Year’s Day and are set to reopen on Friday. While the MOVE in Webull shares was modest, it carried broader implications for retail-focused broker stocks, which often serve as a barometer for individual investor confidence and risk appetite.

Webull Corporation Class A Ordinary Shares, BULL

Holiday Trading Sets Tone

The final session of 2025 was characterized by thin liquidity and mild profit-taking across Wall Street. Major indices finished lower, with the S&P 500 down 0.74% and the Nasdaq sliding 0.76%, as many institutional investors stayed sidelined ahead of the holiday break.

Trading volumes remained subdued throughout the week, amplifying price swings even on relatively limited news flow.

In that environment, online brokerage stocks struggled to find traction. Webull’s dip mirrored declines across the sector, suggesting that investors opted to trim exposure to retail-driven platforms until clearer signals emerge in the new year.

Retail Brokers Move Together

Webull was not alone in closing the year in the red. Other retail-facing brokerage firms, including Robinhood Markets, Charles Schwab, and Interactive Brokers, also ended the session lower. The pullback extended to broader market vehicles such as the SPDR S&P 500 ETF, underscoring the risk-off tone that dominated year-end trading.

This pattern highlights how closely retail brokerage stocks tend to move together, particularly during periods of uncertainty. When volatility cools and participation thins, expectations for trading activity and transaction-driven revenue often reset lower, even if company fundamentals remain intact.

Business Fundamentals Remain in Focus

Despite the year-end softness in its share price, Webull enters 2026 with a set of fundamentals that investors continue to watch closely. In its most recently reported quarter, covering the three months ended September 30, the company posted 55% year-over-year revenue growth to $156.9 million, while customer assets climbed to $21.2 billion.

Webull has also been expanding beyond its Core equity trading offering. Newer initiatives include corporate bond trading and an AI-powered analytical tool known as Vega, both aimed at increasing engagement among active retail investors. These additions could help diversify revenue streams, though their impact will depend on broader market participation and investor sentiment.

At the same time, the key drivers for brokerage stocks remain familiar: customer trading volumes, net inflows of client assets, and interest income generated from cash balances. Each of these metrics is highly sensitive to shifts in volatility, interest-rate expectations, and overall market confidence.

2026 Catalysts Ahead

Looking ahead, investors are preparing for several near-term catalysts that could shape Webull’s stock performance early in 2026.

On the macro front, attention is turning to the U.S. employment report scheduled for January 9, followed by the December consumer price index release on January 13. Both data points have the potential to reset expectations around Federal Reserve policy, with knock-on effects for growth-oriented fintech and brokerage valuations.

From a technical perspective, traders will be watching whether Webull shares can hold above the $7.67 low set in the final session of 2025. A rebound toward the $7.95 level WOULD suggest a quick retracement of the recent range once normal trading volumes return.