Retail "big brother" posts mysterious images, GameStop and other meme stocks rise in response
After the mysterious tweet from retail investor "leader" Keith Gill in the United States, Meme stocks like GameStop surged. On Thursday, GameStop's stock price closed up nearly 6%, with an intraday increase of over 14%. Gill's tweet sparked speculation among retail investors, as it included a cover of Time magazine, leading netizens to interpret its meaning in various ways, suggesting it might hint at the targets of AMC Theatres and GameStop
According to the Zhitong Finance APP, after Keith Gill, known as the "leader of American retail investors," posted a mysterious tweet, GameStop (GME.US), one of the Meme stocks, rose nearly 6% in Thursday's U.S. stock market, with an intraday increase of over 14%. Besides GameStop, other Meme stocks speculated to be related also saw gains on Thursday.
Keith Gill, who previously drove the "retail investors vs. Wall Street" movement and skyrocketed GameStop's stock price, returned to social media in May this year, triggering a rally in several Meme stocks, including GameStop. In recent months, Keith Gill has been posting tweets every few days or months, which often spark various speculations among retail investors and drive up related Meme stocks.
The latest tweet was the first one posted by Keith Gill, who goes by the username "Roaring Kitty," since September. It is reported that in this mysterious tweet, "Roaring Kitty" shared a photo of a Time magazine cover featuring a blank computer screen displaying a video player interface, with a video duration of 4 minutes and 20 seconds and a playback time of 1 minute and 9 seconds.
"Roaring Kitty" did not provide any textual explanation for this image, leading netizens to speculate about its meaning. Some netizens guessed that the 1 minute and 9 seconds in the image represents the number 69, while the 4 minutes and 20 seconds represents the number 420, which may hint at "Roaring Kitty's" targets for the two hottest Meme stocks, AMC Entertainment (AMC.US) and GameStop. Data shows that AMC Entertainment also rose nearly 6% on Thursday, closing at $5.20, while GameStop closed at $28.63.
Meanwhile, some netizens pointed out that the original image posted by "Roaring Kitty" is from the December 25, 2006, "Person of the Year" issue of Time magazine, which named "You"—the general public—as the Person of the Year. As a result, Unity Software, a game engine developer with the stock code "U," rose nearly 5% on Thursday, with an intraday increase of over 8%, while Clear Secure, an airport security system operator with the stock code "YOU," fell over 1%, with an intraday drop of over 4%.
It is worth mentioning that contracts betting on GameStop closing above $30 on Friday were the most actively traded options. Steve Sosnick, Chief Strategist at Interactive Brokers, pointed out that this is characteristic of GameStop's trading pattern—after the stock price rises, when it stabilizes or slightly retreats, "Roaring Kitty" often appears on social media.
Art Hogan, Market Strategist at Riley Wealth Management, stated: "The resurgence of Meme stocks often accompanies a general revival of market enthusiasm and animal spirits. Whenever the market reaches or approaches historical highs, this specific segment of stock speculation tends to re-emerge."