(Oct 17): Robinhood Markets Inc is broadening its offerings to futures trading and index options, as the retail brokerage aims to attract more sophisticated investors to its platform.

The futures contracts investors will be able to trade include stock indices, currencies, metals and energy including natural gas and crude oil, with an access commission of 50 cents for Robinhood Gold members and 75 cents for other customers. Cryptocurrency futures will also be available, the company said on Wednesday, confirming an earlier Bloomberg News report. 

The firm also will offer CBOE Global Markets Inc-supported index options at 35 cents per contract for Gold members and 50 cents for other clients.

Robinhood and other brokerages are vying for customer loyalty after the pandemic prompted many novice investors to look into capital markets. They have broadened their businesses to include more assets, longer trading hours and other investing capabilities.

Beyond the expansion into futures trading and index options, Robinhood also is rolling out a browser-based trading platform that’s more akin to those offered by Interactive Brokers Group Inc and Charles Schwab Corp, which are geared towards more mature investors and allow for advanced customisation.

“In looking at the landscape of trading tools and by talking with active traders, we realised there is frustration with legacy offerings,” Steve Quirk, the chief brokerage officer for Menlo Park, California-based Robinhood, said in the statement. “Moving back and forth between apps or charting platforms can be cumbersome and time consuming.”

On the redesigned trading platform, customers can have as many as eight charts in a single window with dozens of settings and access to candle, line and other chart types. Competitor Fidelity Investments said earlier this month it is unveiling a revamped desktop platform for traders.

Robinhood’s reworked trading platform is available to customers immediately, while futures trading and index options will roll out in the coming months, the firm said without providing an exact time line. 

Vlad Tenev, Robinhood’s founder and chief executive officer, has also looked to expand the company into international markets, especially as it offers more cryptocurrency-focused forays. Robinhood pegged the announcement of the updates to the firm’s first customer-focused conference, being held in Miami this week.

Uploaded by Tham Yek Lee