Robinhood banks on retail trader loyalty in IPO debut

The trading app said it will reserve up to 35 percent of shares for its app users at the pre-trading range of $38 to $42 a pop.

For any company on the brink of going public, the final days before its trading debut can feel like a big balancing act. Even by those standards, Robinhood Markets Inc. is walking a uniquely fine line. The company behind the trading app that starred in this year’s meme stock run-up is carving out an unusually large role for those very same novice investors. On Thursday, when its shares are expected to begin trading after they price late Wednesday, the wisdom of that strategy will be put to the test.