Stock Market Interest Is Surging: Are Meme Stocks Responsible?

The stock market has witnessed a remarkable surge in interest, largely fueled by the resurgence of meme stocks this week.

What To Know: Familiar names like GameStop Corp GME and AMC Entertainment Inc AMC are leading the charge on Wall Street this week with both names experiencing staggering spikes in their stock prices.

After soaring on Monday, GameStop’s shares jumped by as much as 113% on Tuesday, while AMC saw an impressive 129% surge in early trading before pulling back. This remarkable rally extends beyond these two stocks, with other retail favorites such as BlackBerry, Koss Corporation, SunPower, Plug Power, Virgin Galactic and Beyond Meat also enjoying notable gains.

How It Started: The return of Keith Gill, known as “Roaring Kitty,” has been a focal point of the renewed interest in meme stocks. Gill’s reappearance on social media platforms, particularly X (formerly Twitter), has sparked widespread buzz among retail traders. His posts, including a sketch depicting a gamer leaning forward in a chair, have garnered millions of views, indicating a resurgence of engagement in meme stock discussions.

Retail traders, particularly those active on platforms like Reddit’s WallStreetBets, have once again rallied behind meme stocks, urging others to join in buying stakes in companies like GameStop and AMC. This surge in retail trader activity underscores the growing interest and enthusiasm for meme stock trading.

Market Engagement: Data from the past two days reveals that there has been a notable uptick in overall interest in the stock market, according to Google Trends.

Google searches for “stock market” reached a score of 100 on Tuesday, indicating heightened interest. A value of 100 in Google Trends data represents peak popularity for the term. 

Meme stock search interest also reached its peak at the same time Tuesday morning. This synchronized peak suggests a correlation between meme stock activity and overall market engagement, as the excitement surrounding meme stocks fuels curiosity about the broader financial landscape.

Further Google Trends analysis underscores this relationship, showing that as meme stock activity increases, so does broader search interest for the stock market. This alignment in search trends suggests that meme stocks not only captivate investors but also serve as a catalyst for broader market engagement, influencing investor sentiment and market dynamics.

Several reports show that financial analysts and advisors have been quick to comment on this phenomenon, highlighting the speculative nature of meme stock investments.

“Of course, big, big money can be made by some … But let’s [be] very clear: This is extremely speculative, and valuations can be expected to be incredibly wild — in both directions,” said Nigel Green, CEO of financial advisory firm deVere Group.

While meme stocks offer the potential for significant gains, they also come with substantial risks. As retail investors flock to these high-risk, high-reward trading opportunities, it’s essential to approach trading with caution and diligence. 

See Also: Is Roaring Kitty Back For Round 2? GameStop Posts Flood WallStreetBets As Traders Eye Massive Gains: ‘We Are So Back’

Image: JJBers from Flickr