Meme stocks are back in the spotlight, igniting excitement among enthusiasts, frustration among critics, and showcasing the enduring influence of social media on Wall Street, reminiscent of the GameStop frenzy of 2021. GameStop, propelled by posts on the X platform linked to Keith Gill, has skyrocketed 340% in the last 10 trading days, triggering surges in other heavily shorted stocks like AMC, Koss, and Tupperware. Despite their recent gains, these stocks have yet to match the meteoric rise seen in 2021, when GameStop surged by 1,700%, AMC by 2,850%, and Blackberry by nearly 280%.
Short sellers, who bet on stock price declines, have targeted many of these companies, with GameStop’s short interest hitting a 20-month peak of 25% in mid-April. While this is significantly lower than the peak level in October 2020, when about 107% of GameStop’s free share float was sold short, the recent rallies have inflicted substantial losses on short investors, with GameStop alone witnessing year-to-date paper losses totaling $1.28 billion. Despite the surge in options trading accompanying the meme stock rally, analysts suggest it may be premature to label it as a short squeeze, emphasizing the concentration of bullish call options driving the market fervor.