 Financial technology firm SoFi announced on Friday that it will be allowing its users to directly invest into initial public offerings, an opportunity usually reserved for institutional investors. Retail traders at present are not able to buy stocks of newly listed companies until they start trading, unlike Wall Street investors or high net-worth individuals. SoFis new initiative will be considered a win for retail traders as shares often trade higher when they debut in what is commonly known as a first-day pop. 