Robinhood Stock Gains Momentum from Analyst Backing and New Markets

Robinhood Markets, Inc. is building on an already exceptional year with fresh catalysts. The convergence of renewed Wall Street endorsement and a strategic push into sports prediction markets has significantly bolstered investor sentiment. While daily price movements capture attention, the broader narrative centers on whether these initiatives can establish a durable and scalable revenue pillar for the fintech platform.

A primary driver of the renewed optimism is the explosive growth of Robinhood's Prediction Markets. This segment is rapidly evolving into a major revenue source. On December 18, the company substantially expanded its offering by introducing NFL parlays and player proposition bets. This allows users to wager on specific game outcomes and individual athlete performances through tradable contracts.

The scale of growth is striking:
* The annualized trading volume for Prediction Markets has surged from under $100 million in 2024 to over $13 billion currently.
* More than 11 billion contracts have been settled on the platform to date.
* The segment's annual revenue run rate is now reported to be between $100 million and $300 million, making it the company's fastest-growing product category.

This expansion positions Robinhood to compete directly with traditional sportsbooks and crypto-based prediction platforms like Polymarket or Kalshi. A key advantage is the broker's ability to leverage its existing base of 26.9 million funded customers (as of November), eliminating the need to build a user base from scratch.

Further innovation is on the horizon with "Robinhood Cortex," a promised suite of AI-powered tools designed to assist paying Gold members in developing trading strategies. While concrete revenue impacts are not yet measurable, the direction is clear: Robinhood is committed to expanding its ecosystem around active trading and speculative products.

Wall Street Analysts Reinforce the Bull Case

This operational momentum has not gone unnoticed by research firms. On Thursday, several analyst houses issued supportive notes. Truist Financial initiated coverage with a bullish outlook and a $155 price target. Barclays followed by raising its target from $168 to $171, maintaining a positive rating. Earlier in the week, Investec had also set a $155 target.

Collectively, these assessments signal a belief that Robinhood can sustain its current growth trajectory at least through 2026. The focus extends beyond traditional brokerage, highlighting new, dynamic product areas as critical for future performance.

Should investors sell immediately? Or is it worth buying Robinhood?

Despite this positive commentary, the stock experienced mild weakness in the near term, dipping approximately 1.8% over seven days and 2.5% over thirty days. However, with a year-to-date gain exceeding 160%, it remains one of 2025's standout performers.

Strong Fundamentals Underpin the Rally

The optimistic analyst stance is grounded in robust financial results. In the third quarter, Robinhood doubled its year-over-year revenue to $1.27 billion. A net margin above 50% underscored the scalability of its underlying business model.

The market performance reflects this strength: shares are up roughly 181% over a twelve-month period. After reaching a peak in October, the stock underwent a notable correction and currently trades about 24% below its 52-week high. Closing at 100 Euros on Thursday, the price sits nearly 9.5% below its 50-day moving average but remains roughly 18% above its 200-day line—a technical picture consistent with a strong rally followed by consolidation.

A 30-day volatility reading near 69% and a Relative Strength Index (RSI) of 76 indicate the stock continues to experience significant swings and is in short-term overbought territory, maintaining its status as a highly volatile instrument for traders.

The Path Ahead: Execution and Earnings

Attention in the coming weeks will focus on two key areas. First, market participants will monitor the adoption rate of the new NFL-focused features through the remainder of the football season. Second, management has already outlined further expansion phases for 2026, including customizable parlays with up to ten different outcome components.

From a chart perspective, observers note the $125 zone as a significant resistance level; a sustained break above it could pave the way for a retest of the October highs. Fundamentally, the next major milestone will be the Q4 earnings report, where Robinhood must demonstrate the concrete revenue contribution from its Prediction Markets and newly launched features.