Susquehanna International Group is a company that specializes in lightning-fast stock trading to make profits. They gain small amounts of money each time they trade, often in milliseconds. Recently, the company was found to have a 2% stake in a blank-check company that merged with Donald Trump’s social media company, leading to speculation that Yass, the founder and a Republican mega-donor, may be funneling money to Trump.
However, Susquehanna has stated that they remain neutral on the stock and own other securities such as options that offset their stock holdings. Their primary focus is on providing bids and offers in the market rather than evaluating the value of investments. The blank-check company, Digital World, has attracted the attention of algorithmic market-makers and quant funds who see it as a gauge of Trump supporters’ sentiment. Quantitative traders are drawn to retail trading since it is often driven by individual investors rather than larger economic trends.
Apart from their stock trading business, Susquehanna also has a private-equity and venture-capital arm. They own a significant stake in TikTok, which has raised further speculation about Yass’s potential influence due to Trump’s changing stance on the social media platform. Ultimately, Susquehanna’s role in the stock market is to provide liquidity and make trades rather than necessarily investing based on the underlying value of the assets.