UK retail investors top up accounts 27% before SpaceX IPO

TrueLayer recorded a 27% rise in Pay by Bank transactions into trading and investment accounts in the two weeks before SpaceX’s Nasdaq listing, reflecting increased activity by UK retail investors. The rise was concentrated at investment platforms and retail brokerages; ecommerce and online gaming did not register a similar increase.

Francesco Simoneschi, TrueLayer’s CEO and co-founder, noted: “Retail investors are getting their accounts ready, and we can see it on the payment rails. Top-ups to investment platforms and retail brokers are up 27%, which tracks closely with the surge of retail interest around the SpaceX IPO.”

Many of the flows were processed via Pay by Bank and open banking rails, which enable near-instant transfers from customer bank accounts to trading platforms. Faster payment rails reduce reliance on card payments or traditional bank transfers and allow investors to move cash quickly to take part in time-sensitive events or to adjust portfolios.

The SpaceX offering is expected to include a substantial retail allocation, with reports that up to 30% of shares may be reserved for individual investors. Shares are due to start trading on Nasdaq under the ticker SPCX at a fixed offer price of $135, valuing the company at about $1.75 trillion.

TrueLayer stated its payments data can surface retail behaviour ahead of market trading volumes and pointed to a trend of trading platforms integrating real-time payment capabilities to meet investor expectations for speed and seamless funding.