It could be individual retail investors, institutions or the brokerage itself. The brokerage is what is known as a broker-dealer. Think of it as a drug or car dealer who has to buy inventory then to sell it again for a profit. This is why stocks have a big/ask spread. That difference, among other things, is the profit available to a buyer/seller.
deltahigh t1_j6o1ax6 wrote
Reply to ELI5: Who buys the stock I sell? by Raven019
It could be individual retail investors, institutions or the brokerage itself. The brokerage is what is known as a broker-dealer. Think of it as a drug or car dealer who has to buy inventory then to sell it again for a profit. This is why stocks have a big/ask spread. That difference, among other things, is the profit available to a buyer/seller.