A deeper push into collectibles and trading cards continues for video game retailer GameStop Corp GME with the company's latest launch. GME is currently moving to its 52-week bottom. Track it now here. What Happened: GameStop is expanding its partnership with trading card grading company PSA, which is owned by Collectors Universe. The companies first partnered in 2024 and Collectors Universe CEO Nat Turner is a member of the GameStop board of directors. Together, GameStop and PSA are launching Power Packs, ...

Key Takeaways GameStop Corp. (GME) and Best Buy Co., Inc. (BBY) stand at very different crossroads in the retail landscape. GameStop, once heavily dependent on physical video game sales, is in the midst of a deep structural overhaul. Best Buy, by contrast, is leaning into its role as a digital-first omnichannel electronics leader, expanding its reach through marketplace launches and high-margin media services. In a retail environment shaped by cautious consumers, tech disruption and supply-chain volatility, ...

Meme Stock Phenomenon - Meme stocks experience volatile price swings unrelated to business fundamentals, often involving heavily shorted, cheap stocks [4] - Retail investors leverage social media to drive up stock prices, challenging institutional investors [3][8] - GameStop's surge, fueled by Reddit users, demonstrated the potential for massive gains and losses, impacting hedge funds [9][10] - Kohl's, like other recognizable brands, became a target for meme stock activity due to its household name and high short interest [11][12] Kohl's Business Performance - Kohl's stock experienced a 100% surge due to meme stock activity, despite underlying business performance being just "okay" [1] - From July 2021 to July 2025, Kohl's stock price decreased by approximately 85% [17] - Between 2019 and 2024, beauty and accessory sales increased by 38% due to the Sephora partnership, but overall sales decreased by 18.5%, and excluding beauty, sales decreased by around 26% [19] - Kohl's has lost 1.3 million customers over five years to competitors [17] Risks and Outlook - Short selling involves borrowing and selling stock, hoping to buy it back at a lower price, but losses can be exponential if the price rises [5][6] - Wild stock swings can distract from Kohl's need to focus on day-to-day operations [21] - While not in immediate danger of bankruptcy, Kohl's faces challenges and needs to experiment with different strategies under an interim CEO [18][19][20] - Predicting the next meme stock is difficult, but companies with household names and high short interest are potential candidates [14][16]

Core Viewpoint - The resurgence of "Meme stocks" is driven by social media discussions and a surge of retail investors, leading to significant price volatility without fundamental changes in the companies involved [1][4]. Group 1: Characteristics of Meme Stocks - Meme stocks often share common traits, including the ability to spark collective imagination among internet users and gaining traction from influential retail investors on social media [2]. - These stocks typically have high short interest, indicating that professional investors are betting against them, and they often have lower share prices [3]. Group 2: Market Environment Comparison - The current market environment in 2025 differs fundamentally from that of 2021, with high interest rates and uncertain tariff policies, which should suppress risk appetite; however, speculative trading has become active again [4]. - The number of stocks involved in the current wave is fewer than in 2021, but the volatility is more pronounced and the price increases are short-lived [4]. Group 3: Trading Dynamics - For instance, Opendoor's stock surged by 43% on July 21, with a trading volume of 1.9 billion shares, accounting for about 10% of total U.S. stock trading that day [4]. - The surge in stocks like Kohl's and Krispy Kreme was driven by short squeeze dynamics, where short sellers are forced to buy back shares, pushing prices higher [4]. Group 4: Risks and Ethical Concerns - Trading in Meme stocks carries high risks as the motivations for buying are often unrelated to the companies' fundamentals, leading to significant volatility [5]. - The ethical implications of social media influencers affecting stock prices are debated, with concerns about undisclosed information regarding their holdings and motivations [9]. Group 5: Sustainability of Meme Stock Trends - The sustainability of Meme stock trends relies on continuously attracting new investors, which has proven difficult in the current market environment compared to the pandemic period [10]. - Historical patterns show that the price surges of Meme stocks are often short-lived, as evidenced by the rapid decline of stocks like Faraday Future [10].

Market Trends - Meme stocks, popularized by the 2021 GameStop event, are resurging [1]

Market Trends - Meme stocks, popularized by the 2021 GameStop event, are experiencing a resurgence [1]

Core Insights - GameStop Corp. (GME) has seen a significant decline in its stock price, dropping 10.4% over the past three months, underperforming the Zacks industry rally of 28.9% and the sector's growth of 16.8% [1][4][11] - The company's first-quarter fiscal 2025 results revealed a total net sales decline of 16.9% year over year to $732.4 million, primarily due to sharp drops in hardware and software sales [16][20] - GameStop is undergoing a strategic transformation to evolve from a traditional video game retailer to a technology-driven company, focusing on digital assets and collectibles [21][27] Financial Performance - Hardware and accessories sales fell 31.7% year over year to $345.3 million, while software sales decreased 26.7% to $175.6 million, indicating a shift in consumer preferences towards digital gaming [16][20] - U.S. revenues declined 12.9% to $537.5 million, with significant contractions in European markets, which plunged 47.4% to $74.8 million [17][20] - Despite cost-cutting measures, GameStop reported an operating loss of $10.8 million for the fiscal first quarter, highlighting ongoing profitability challenges [19][20] Strategic Initiatives - GameStop's collectibles business saw a remarkable growth of 54.6% year over year to $211.5 million, now representing 28.9% of total sales [22] - The company reduced adjusted selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses by nearly 25%, resulting in a gross profit increase of 3.4% to $252.8 million [23][24] - GameStop's cash position improved significantly, holding over $6.4 billion in cash and marketable securities, supported by a strong free cash flow of $189.6 million [26][27] Market Position - GameStop's stock trades at a forward 12-month price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of 3.31, lower than the industry's average of 3.75, indicating a discounted status relative to its peers [13][14] - The company has made a bold move into digital assets by acquiring 4,710 Bitcoin, signaling its commitment to embracing emerging technologies [27] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current fiscal year has been raised to 75 cents a share, while the estimate for the next fiscal year has decreased to 36 cents [28][29]

Market Sentiment - GameStop stock is considered to be crypto-adjacent in spirit [1]

Core Insights - GameStop Corp. reported mixed regional results for Q1 of fiscal 2025, with total net sales declining 16.9% year over year to $732.4 million, primarily due to ongoing restructuring and international market challenges [1][9]. U.S. Performance - The U.S. market remains the cornerstone of GameStop's business, generating net sales of $537.5 million, a decrease of 12.9% from the previous year. However, operational efficiency improvements led to a turnaround, resulting in operating income of $33.6 million compared to a loss of $25.3 million a year earlier [2][9]. - The U.S. now accounts for 73.4% of total sales, underscoring its significance to the company's overall performance [2]. International Operations - Internationally, performance was weak, with Canada experiencing a 10.3% decline in net sales to $38.2 million and an increased operating loss of $22.2 million, largely due to $18.3 million in impairment charges related to exiting the market [3]. - Europe faced significant challenges, with sales plummeting 47.4% to $74.8 million and losses widening to $16.8 million, impacted by $17.2 million in impairment costs and declining demand [4]. - Australia showed slight improvement, with sales rising 2.9% to $81.9 million, while operating losses narrowed to $5.4 million [4]. Strategic Focus - The results highlight the urgent need for GameStop to concentrate on profitable markets and consider exiting or restructuring underperforming ones. The U.S. turnaround provides a foundation, but ongoing international losses necessitate decisive actions to sustain recovery and adapt to market changes [5]. Stock Performance and Valuation - GameStop shares have declined 10.8% over the past three months, contrasting with the industry's growth of 30.7% [6]. - The company has underperformed compared to competitors like Best Buy and Microsoft, with Best Buy shares down 4.3% and Microsoft shares up 36.2% during the same period [7]. - GameStop trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 3.30X, slightly below the industry average of 3.74X, and has a Value Score of D [7]. Earnings Estimates - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for GameStop's fiscal 2025 earnings suggests a year-over-year increase of 127.3%, while the estimate for fiscal 2026 indicates a decline of 52%. Recent adjustments show an increase of 28 cents for fiscal 2025 and a decrease of 11 cents for fiscal 2026 [11].

GameStop NYSE: GME CEO Ryan Cohen attempted to bring clarity to the market in a televised interview. He says the company isn't trying to be a Bitcoin repository and isn't following in the steps of Strategy NASDAQ: MSTR, which is good news. However, what he didn't do was provide an update on a coherent plan for the business, which is slowly consuming itself. GameStop Today GME GameStop $24.20 +0.92 (+3.95%) 52-Week Range $18.73 ▼ $35.81 P/E Ratio 52.61 Price Target $13.50 Add to Watchlist The only thing hold ...