Core Insights - The article discusses the current landscape of meme stocks in the U.S. stock market, highlighting the trend of retail investors engaging in these stocks despite the underlying business fundamentals [1][2]. Retail Investor Trends - Retail investment in U.S. equity markets has surged, now accounting for approximately 20% of daily trading volume, a significant increase from pre-pandemic levels [2]. - Retail investors are increasingly informed and engaged, utilizing online platforms like Reddit to share insights and strategies, contributing to the democratization of market access and information [4]. Methodology for Stock Selection - The selection of the 10 best meme stocks was based on ETFs with exposure to meme stocks and articles from financial websites, focusing on stocks with the highest average upside in share price as of February 12 [6]. - Hedge fund holdings as of Q3 2025 were also considered to gauge investor interest in these stocks [6]. Stock Performance Highlights - Reddit, Inc. (NYSE:RDDT) is highlighted as a top meme stock with a price target cut from $236 to $206 by Goldman Sachs, yet it maintains a significant upside potential of 81.09% based on its closing price of $131.07 [9][11]. - The company reported a 70% year-over-year revenue increase to $726 million in Q4, with diluted earnings per share of $1.24, exceeding estimates by $0.28 [13]. - AppLovin Corporation (NASDAQ:APP) is another top meme stock, with a price target cut from $860 to $700 by Jefferies, but it still shows an upside potential of 88.62% [14][17]. - AppLovin's Q4 sales reached $1.66 billion, a 66% year-over-year growth, with net income increasing by 84% to $1.10 billion, and diluted EPS of $3.24, surpassing expectations [16].