Stats Active, passive and flows Payment for order flow

Options pay $3.0bn of the $4.4bn US brokers collect

Options
3bn
Non S&P 500
equities
1.2bn
S&P 500
equities
0.2bn

Options generate roughly two and a half times the payments that all equities do combined. Source: Moody's Ratings analysis of 14 large US brokers' regulatory disclosures.

US retail brokers route customer orders to wholesale market makers, which pay for the flow. Of roughly $4.4 billion collected in 2025, options produced $3.0 billion and all shares $1.4 billion. Payment for order flow is now mostly an options business.

$3.0bnOptions PFOF, 2025
$1.2bnNon S&P 500 equities
$0.2bnS&P 500 equities
over 95%Top five providers

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