Meme stocks are back from the dead and penny shares are soaring during July’s spate of wild speculation, WSJ’s @jmackin2 writes https://t.co/zreDjbD5ZQ ...

Market Trends & Trade - Trade deals and talks should matter a lot to the macro market, but much of it is already priced in [2] - The market is pricing in the absolute best-case scenario regarding a potential 90-day reprieve on trade issues [3] - The market yawned at the EU deal, indicating it was already expected [4] Risk Assessment & Market Sentiment - The market has shifted from complete risk aversion to complete risk acceptance in a matter of weeks [6] - There are signs of real froth in the market, with some describing it as a "flight to crap" [6] - The market is seeing levels similar to 2021 when money was free, which is worrisome [11] - "Flight to crap" is the opposite of "flight to quality," where investors seek maximum risk [8][9] Meme Stocks & Speculative Trading - Meme stocks and companies with no earnings are seeing bids, and SPACs are back [5] - Individuals were buying the market in April, and risky trades have worked for them [10] - The activity surrounding meme stocks is more akin to gambling than investing [12] - Options activity often precedes social media hype for meme stocks, with peaks occurring shortly after the market opens [13] Company Specific Concerns - Kohl's bonds are trading around $0.70 on the dollar, indicating potential troubles ahead [14]

Market Trends - Market experienced a tumble followed by a rise, leading to a rush into risky assets [1] - Risky assets include meme stocks, cryptocurrencies, and shares of smaller companies yet to achieve profitability [1]

Core Viewpoint - The resurgence of meme stocks is driven by retail traders, reminiscent of the 2021 craze, with potential for even larger rallies as they mobilize online and disregard Wall Street skepticism [1][6]. Group 1: Retailer Performance - Retailers such as Kohl's, GoPro, Wendy's, and Krispy Kreme experienced significant stock rallies, with Kohl's up 32%, GoPro up 66%, and Krispy Kreme up 41% over the week [6]. - American Eagle Outfitters saw a 10% increase in shares after actress Sydney Sweeney was announced as the face of its marketing campaign [3]. Group 2: Market Dynamics - The current market environment, characterized by high trading volumes and speculative behavior, is conducive to meme stock rallies, similar to the conditions during the Covid era [6][10]. - The meme-stock phenomenon is often detached from traditional economic fundamentals, with investors supporting brands for emotional or ideological reasons rather than financial metrics [7][10]. Group 3: Community Influence - The wallstreetbets forum empowers retail traders to share research and ideas, leading to a decentralization of financial analysis and investment power [5]. - The community's influence is evident as retail traders push stock prices significantly, demonstrating the power of collective action [5]. Group 4: Cultural Impact - The meme culture surrounding stocks, such as Wendy's, illustrates how humor and social media can drive investment decisions, often independent of market fundamentals [8][10]. - The evolving landscape of finance, including the rise of blockchain and AI trading, reflects a shift in how retail traders engage with the market [4].

Core Viewpoint - The market is perceived to be entering a phase of irrational exuberance, indicated by the resurgence of retail traders engaging in the pump and dump of meme stocks [1] Group 1 - The return of retail traders, particularly those organized on platforms like Reddit, is contributing to the current market dynamics [1] - There is a suggestion that this behavior is reminiscent of previous market bubbles, raising concerns about sustainability [1]

us right now is Bill Ian. He is JP Morgan's asset management, chief investment officer uh of Absolute Return Fixed Income. Good morning. Morning, Andrew.To you as we try to figure Okay, before we even just get into the markets, do you want to weigh in on the power of it all. Yeah, I just Man, there's a guy that's getting kicked around a little bit right now. It's um it's it's interesting to watch.Um I you know, the position he's in is almost a no- win right now, right. Because I think the Fed honestly is tr ...

Core Insights - The resurgence of meme stocks has been noted, with a new category termed "DORK stocks" gaining attention [1] Group 1: Market Trends - The DORK stocks represent a new wave of interest in meme stocks, indicating a potential shift in market dynamics [1] Group 2: Investment Focus - The article emphasizes the importance of business analysis, fundamental analysis, and long-term growth in sectors such as AI, fintech, finance, and tech [1]

Tell us how you navigated this first half. Yeah, well, first of all, we're really proud of the overall performance of the business. So we had 12% revenue growth, 24% EPS growth, and it really was growth across all of our divisions.So as you know, we have our financial technology division, 10% growth there, really great momentum with our clients and the strategic capabilities we offer around risk management, anti fin crime, trade, infrastructure. And then we also had 9% growth in capital access platforms, wh ...

Core Viewpoint - Retail traders are actively buying heavily shorted stocks, reviving the "meme stock" phenomenon, with OpenDoor Technologies Inc (NASDAQ:OPEN) being a notable example [1] Group 1: Stock Performance - OPEN's stock price increased by 19.7% to $2.74, with a remarkable 386% gain in July, 300% of which occurred after July 11 [5] - The stock has experienced 13 out of the last 17 trading sessions with gains, including eight sessions with double-digit increases [5] - OPEN reached a high of $4.97 on a recent Monday, but is currently trading close to its July 2024 level of $2.41 [5] Group 2: Options Activity - OPEN has seen significant options trading activity, with 7,198,384 calls and 2,744,586 puts exchanged over the last 10 sessions, indicating high interest for a company with a market cap of $1.9 billion [2] - The most popular options contracts during this period were the weekly 7/25 3-strike call and the 2.5 strike in the same series [2] - The stock's 30-day at-the-money implied volatility is at 277%, just one percentage point shy of its 52-week peak, reflecting steep volatility expectations in the options market [8] Group 3: Short Interest - Short interest in OPEN has decreased by 11% in the most recent reporting period, yet 135 million shares remain sold short, representing 21% of the total available float [7]

Group 1: Meme Stock Revival - Shares in Krispy Kreme surged by as much as 25%, GoPro jumped 49%, and Beyond Meat rose 11% in a revival of meme stocks [1][2] - The rally was driven by social media buzz and short squeezes, despite little change in the companies' business fundamentals [2][3] - The recent surge in meme stocks is reminiscent of the GameStop chaos from four years ago [3] Group 2: Trading Activity - Krispy Kreme experienced record call volume with over 100,000 contracts traded, about 71 times the average daily volume over the past four years [5] - GoPro saw its highest call volume since 2021 with over 56,000 contracts traded [6] - Other stocks with high short interest, such as Campbell's Co., Aehr Test Systems, Polaris, and Wendy's, also attracted buyers this week [10] Group 3: Market Context - The meme stock rally coincided with broader market optimism, as the S&P 500 reached another all-time high and Bitcoin doubled in less than a year [5] - The revival of meme stocks began last week with significant movements in Opendoor Technologies, which surged over 300% [2][7]