Why Is HOOD Stock Gaining Today?

• Robinhood said customers will be able to predict on individual matches, group and tournament winners, spreads, totals, and player contracts.
• The company said that it would route event contracts to its joint venture Rothera, a derivatives exchange and clearinghouse.
• HOOD shares also gained following the expiration of the long-standing Pattern Day Trader rule.

Robinhood Markets (HOOD) was in the limelight on Thursday, with shares climbing nearly 4% after the company expanded its offerings to include contracts tied to the FIFA World Cup, while traders also celebrated the removal of the Pattern Day Trader restriction.

HOOD stock is set to apply the brakes to a three-session slump that eroded more than 12% of its value.

New World Cup Contracts To Be Traded Via JV Rothera

Robinhood said customers will be able to predict on individual matches, group and tournament winners, spreads, totals, and player contracts. The company said that it would route event contracts to its joint venture Rothera, a derivatives exchange and clearinghouse regulated by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

Robinhood also introduced a new pricing model on June 1, which will see commission fees vary based on contract prices and order size, with fees capped at $0.01 per contract.

According to a survey by Numerator last month, around 32% of U.S. consumers plan to watch the World Cup, up from 26% in January. 

PDT Rule End Boosts HOOD Stock

HOOD shares also gained following the expiration of the long-standing Pattern Day Trader (PDT) rule. The rule, introduced in 2001, required investors to maintain at least $25,000 in equity if they executed four or more day trades within a five-day period. Critics argued that the requirement unfairly limited smaller traders’ ability to actively participate in the market.

The change comes after the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) proposed replacing the rule in December 2025, describing it as outdated and unnecessarily restrictive. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved the plan in April.

Under the new framework, brokerages will no longer track the number of day trades or label customers as pattern day traders.

Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs analyst James Yaro raised the price target on HOOD to $105 from $95 and maintained a ‘Buy’ rating, according to The Fly. This represents a potential 22% upside from current levels.

Retail’s Take On HOOD

Retail sentiment surrounding HOOD on Stocktwits changed to ‘bullish’ from ‘extremely bullish’ over a 24-hour period, amid ‘high’ message volumes.

Retail users were particularly bullish on the PDT rule change, calling it a “game changer.”

Another user expects the stock to rise to $150, citing links to multiple government-linked accounts.

The stock has been under selling pressure this year, declining more than 26%.

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