Core Viewpoint - The current speculative activity in the market is primarily focused on small-cap and low-priced stocks, with minimal impact on major indices like the S&P 500, contrasting with the 2021 meme stock frenzy led by GameStop and AMC [1][3]. Group 1: Speculative Activity - The most notable feature of the market in July was the intense pursuit of low-priced stocks, with the median increase of the lowest-priced decile of stocks reaching 16% by July 23, significantly outpacing the 1.4% increase of the highest-priced stocks [5]. - This investment logic, based on stock price rather than company fundamentals, is viewed as absurd by institutional investors, as companies can easily alter their stock prices through stock splits without affecting shareholder proportions or profit sharing [5]. - Many retail investors either do not understand or choose to ignore this fundamental principle, leading to a situation where their strategies worked during the trading frenzy in July, but when the speculation reversed at the end of the month, the cheapest stocks experienced the largest declines, averaging 6% [6]. Group 2: Capital Allocation Concerns - Excessive speculation may lead to improper capital allocation, as evidenced by the 2021 meme stock craze where companies like GameStop and AMC issued billions in new shares at inflated prices, only to see their stock prices plummet afterward [8]. - Historical warnings from economists, such as Keynes, highlight the risks of capital flowing to the wrong companies during speculative bubbles, which could harm growth and employment, a concern that remains relevant today [8]. Group 3: Market Impact and Sentiment - The current speculative activities have a relatively limited impact on the broader market, as there are no low-priced stocks within the S&P 500, and cheaper stocks among large companies did not show significant performance patterns in July [9]. - Investor sentiment, while more positive than at the beginning of the year, has not reached excessive optimism levels, and futures traders are less bullish compared to 2021 [10]. - Retail investors may have contributed to the rise of the S&P 500 index since April through buying on dips, but their influence in July was relatively limited, with the new meme stocks representing a public manifestation of summer speculation among private traders [11].