meme stock

noun

plural meme stocks

: a stock (see stock entry 1 sense 2a) that experiences a temporary sudden surge in popularity and price due to a coordinated effort (such as a viral social media campaign) by small investors

… 'meme stock' refers to a stock that attains viral attention on social media platforms, but predominately Reddit.—

Andrew Rocco

The theory was that if enough small investors got in the game and drove the stock higher, it would force large hedge funds with short positions (bets that the stock would fall), to capitulate and sell those positions at a massive loss. … that dynamic appears to be driving the stocks of GameStop, AMC, and other so-called meme stocks.—

Michelle Chapman

Price spikes in several meme stocks appear to be linked to the amount of talk about them on r/WallStreetBets, a forum on Reddit, a discussion website whose users are known for mischief-making. From this comes the name: an internet meme being an idea or behaviour, usually a humorous one, spread via social media.—

The Economist

—often hyphenated before another noun

meme-stock investors

the meme-stock craze

Examples of meme stock in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web That’s why some experts have dismissed Trump Media as a meme stock similar to GameStop and AMC that trades on momentum and hype, not fundamentals. —

Matt Egan, CNN, 21 June 2024 And, in a lot of ways, who fits that bill more than a former Googler who got online-famous turning $35,000 into millions in the meme stock craze? —

Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 17 June 2024 The company’s volatility is largely due to its status as a meme stock as its share price increases rapidly due to online attention from dedicated followers. —

Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 12 June 2024 Images / Contributor | LightRocket E-Trade is apparently struggling to balance the risks and rewards of allowing Keith Gill to continue trading volatile meme stocks on its platform, The Wall Street Journal reported. —

Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica, 4 June 2024 GameStop had experienced declining sales amid an industrywide pivot from game cartridges to video game streaming and digital downloads, but with the help of meme stock investors, last March the company turned its first profit in two years. —

Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 3 June 2024 At the peak of the meme stock frenzy this past month, the company’s shares traded at a high of $48.75. —

Rocio Fabbro, Quartz, 28 May 2024 Professional and institutional investors (i.e. the very hedge funds that the meme stock movement sees as a foe) have access to more expertise and information than retail investors. —

Meagan Andrews, Fortune, 27 May 2024 Meme stocks decline Interest in meme stocks like GameStop and AMC has waned following Roaring Kitty's exit from social media. —

Detroit Free Press, 25 May 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'meme stock.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.