Five Years of GameStop's Meme Stock Movement: A Look at Market Transformations.
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 23 2026
0mins
Source: Barron's
Investor Impact: Five years ago, investors in a struggling videogame retailer were on the brink of causing a major financial crisis.
Global Financial System: The situation highlighted the potential for individual companies to significantly affect the stability of the global financial system.
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Analyst Views on AMC
Wall Street analysts forecast AMC stock price to rise
4 Analyst Rating
0 Buy
3 Hold
1 Sell
Hold
Current: 1.590
Low
1.30
Averages
2.02
High
3.00
Current: 1.590
Low
1.30
Averages
2.02
High
3.00
About AMC
AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. is a movie exhibition company. The Company is principally involved in the theatrical exhibition business and owns, operates or has interests in theatres primarily located in the United States and Europe. The Company operates through two segments: U.S. markets and International markets. In the U.S. markets segment, it owns, leases or operates theatres in 41 states and the District of Columbia. The International markets segment has operations in or partial interest in theatres in the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Portugal, Sweden, Finland, Norway, and Denmark. Its brands include AMC, AMC CLASSIC and others. It also offers food and beverage alternatives beyond traditional concession items, including collectible concession vessels, made-to-order meals, customized coffee, healthy snacks, beer, wine, premium cocktails, and dine-in theatre options. It operates approximately 870 theatres and 9,700 screens across the globe.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
AMC Achieves Record Box Office During Memorial Day Weekend
- Record Attendance: During the U.S. Memorial Day weekend, AMC welcomed over 5 million moviegoers, marking its highest Thursday-through-Monday attendance in 2026, indicating a robust recovery in cinema operations and a promising start to the summer movie season.
- Strong Opening for THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU: The film grossed $82 million in its first three days, nearing $100 million including the holiday Monday, becoming the fifth film in two months to surpass $75 million in its opening, reflecting a stable growth trend in the 2026 box office.
- Merchandise Sales Surge: The merchandise tied to THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU performed exceptionally well, ranking as AMC's third-best opening weekend merchandise sales, showcasing strong demand for movie-themed products and further boosting AMC's revenue.
- Sustained Box Office Appeal: In addition to new releases, OBSESSION also performed impressively, earning over $30 million during the holiday weekend, up more than 30% from its opening, demonstrating ongoing audience interest in quality films and suggesting strong box office performance in the weeks ahead.
See More
UBS Identifies Investment Opportunities in Broadcom and Accenture
- Market Opportunity Analysis: UBS believes that meaningful investment opportunities still exist despite stocks nearing all-time highs, particularly in companies like Broadcom and Accenture, reflecting optimism for future growth.
- Broadcom's Strong Performance: Broadcom's stock has risen 22% this year, with a forecasted cash flow return on investment (CFROI) exceeding 80% by 2027, indicating its leadership in ASIC chips and the importance of AI workloads, suggesting robust future performance.
- Accenture Facing Challenges: Although Accenture's CFROI is projected to reach 43.7%, its stock has fallen 34% this year, reflecting market concerns over margin pressure and disintermediation risks from emerging AI models, leading to subdued investor sentiment.
- Investment Strategy Recommendations: UBS advises investors to focus on companies with improving cash flow returns and high-quality laggards, emphasizing the potential value of these firms in the software and IT consulting sectors, despite their stock prices having declined by over 5%.
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Jim Cramer Stock Recommendations Analysis
- Stock Performance Analysis: Jim Cramer highlights Boost Run's impressive year-to-date stock performance, indicating strong market interest that could attract more speculative investors.
- DoorDash Investment Advice: Cramer sees DoorDash as a buy despite competition from hardware stocks, suggesting that its market potential remains significant and could appeal to investors seeking diversification.
- Leidos Stock Outlook: Although Leidos' stock is underperforming, Cramer believes its contributions to security are noteworthy, recommending investors consider buying during this downturn for potential future gains.
- Flex Stock Potential: Cramer expresses optimism about Flex's prospects, suggesting it could rise by 50% in the future, indicating strong market confidence in its business model that may draw more investor attention.
See More
AMC Theatres Attracts Over 5 Million Moviegoers During Memorial Day Weekend
- Surge in Attendance: AMC Theatres and ODEON Cinemas attracted over 5 million moviegoers during the Memorial Day weekend, marking the strongest Thursday-to-Monday attendance in the U.S. for 2026 so far, indicating a robust return of the summer moviegoing season.
- Strong Box Office Performance: Earlier in May, The Devil Wears Prada 2 helped draw over 4.4 million guests globally, further validating AMC's recovery and reflecting sustained audience interest and repeat visits driven by new releases.
- Box Office Growth Trend: The U.S. box office saw a 23% increase in Q1 and an 11.1% rise halfway through Q2, showcasing a recovery momentum in the film market, particularly fueled by major studio titles and premium large-format offerings.
- Future Film Outlook: Analyst Eric World noted that the remaining film slate for Q2 is relatively attractive, with anticipated releases like Scary Movie 6 and Toy Story 5 expected to further drive audience engagement and enhance AMC's market performance.
See More
AMC Partners with Telemundo for Live 2026 FIFA World Cup Screenings
- World Cup Live Streaming: AMC has partnered with Telemundo to broadcast live 2026 FIFA World Cup matches in U.S. theaters, particularly featuring high-interest teams like Mexico and Brazil, aimed at attracting Spanish-speaking audiences and maximizing underutilized daytime screens.
- Innovative Ticketing Model: Fans can purchase tickets through AMC's regular channels, enjoying cinema-grade projection and sound, which enhances the viewing experience while also generating additional food and beverage revenue for AMC, thereby reducing content risk.
- Market Expansion Potential: If the rollout for the 2026 World Cup performs well, AMC could establish a recurring model for hosting live sporting events in theaters across both hemispheres, further expanding its event cinema business model and enhancing market competitiveness.
- Strategic Partnership Advantage: By leveraging Telemundo's broadcasting rights, AMC sidesteps the complexities of negotiating directly with FIFA, positioning itself as an additional distribution channel for the broadcaster and gaining a favorable position in the sports live-streaming market.
See More
Meta's Forum App Poses New Threat to Reddit
- Stock Decline: Reddit shares fell approximately 6% on Friday, reflecting market concerns over Meta's new Forum app potentially impacting user congregation and discussions, leading to a nearly 40% decline in Reddit's stock this year.
- Increased Competition: The Forum app, launched as part of Facebook Groups, aims to compete with Reddit, with analysts noting that it could gradually erode Reddit's appeal to casual users who have less community loyalty.
- Advertising Growth: Despite competitive pressures, Reddit reported over 60% year-over-year sales growth in April, marking its seventh consecutive quarter of sales growth, indicating strong performance in its online advertising business.
- Analyst Recommendations: Truist analysts recommend buying Reddit stock, suggesting that even with new competition, Reddit's core user base is likely to remain loyal, while the impact on non-core users could be more significant.
See More
AMC Achieves Record Box Office During Memorial Day Weekend
- Record Attendance: During the U.S. Memorial Day weekend, AMC welcomed over 5 million moviegoers, marking its highest Thursday-through-Monday attendance in 2026, indicating a robust recovery in cinema operations and a promising start to the summer movie season.
- Strong Opening for THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU: The film grossed $82 million in its first three days, nearing $100 million including the holiday Monday, becoming the fifth film in two months to surpass $75 million in its opening, reflecting a stable growth trend in the 2026 box office.
- Merchandise Sales Surge: The merchandise tied to THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU performed exceptionally well, ranking as AMC's third-best opening weekend merchandise sales, showcasing strong demand for movie-themed products and further boosting AMC's revenue.
- Sustained Box Office Appeal: In addition to new releases, OBSESSION also performed impressively, earning over $30 million during the holiday weekend, up more than 30% from its opening, demonstrating ongoing audience interest in quality films and suggesting strong box office performance in the weeks ahead.
See More
UBS Identifies Investment Opportunities in Broadcom and Accenture
- Market Opportunity Analysis: UBS believes that meaningful investment opportunities still exist despite stocks nearing all-time highs, particularly in companies like Broadcom and Accenture, reflecting optimism for future growth.
- Broadcom's Strong Performance: Broadcom's stock has risen 22% this year, with a forecasted cash flow return on investment (CFROI) exceeding 80% by 2027, indicating its leadership in ASIC chips and the importance of AI workloads, suggesting robust future performance.
- Accenture Facing Challenges: Although Accenture's CFROI is projected to reach 43.7%, its stock has fallen 34% this year, reflecting market concerns over margin pressure and disintermediation risks from emerging AI models, leading to subdued investor sentiment.
- Investment Strategy Recommendations: UBS advises investors to focus on companies with improving cash flow returns and high-quality laggards, emphasizing the potential value of these firms in the software and IT consulting sectors, despite their stock prices having declined by over 5%.
See More
Jim Cramer Stock Recommendations Analysis
- Stock Performance Analysis: Jim Cramer highlights Boost Run's impressive year-to-date stock performance, indicating strong market interest that could attract more speculative investors.
- DoorDash Investment Advice: Cramer sees DoorDash as a buy despite competition from hardware stocks, suggesting that its market potential remains significant and could appeal to investors seeking diversification.
- Leidos Stock Outlook: Although Leidos' stock is underperforming, Cramer believes its contributions to security are noteworthy, recommending investors consider buying during this downturn for potential future gains.
- Flex Stock Potential: Cramer expresses optimism about Flex's prospects, suggesting it could rise by 50% in the future, indicating strong market confidence in its business model that may draw more investor attention.
See More
AMC Theatres Attracts Over 5 Million Moviegoers During Memorial Day Weekend
- Surge in Attendance: AMC Theatres and ODEON Cinemas attracted over 5 million moviegoers during the Memorial Day weekend, marking the strongest Thursday-to-Monday attendance in the U.S. for 2026 so far, indicating a robust return of the summer moviegoing season.
- Strong Box Office Performance: Earlier in May, The Devil Wears Prada 2 helped draw over 4.4 million guests globally, further validating AMC's recovery and reflecting sustained audience interest and repeat visits driven by new releases.
- Box Office Growth Trend: The U.S. box office saw a 23% increase in Q1 and an 11.1% rise halfway through Q2, showcasing a recovery momentum in the film market, particularly fueled by major studio titles and premium large-format offerings.
- Future Film Outlook: Analyst Eric World noted that the remaining film slate for Q2 is relatively attractive, with anticipated releases like Scary Movie 6 and Toy Story 5 expected to further drive audience engagement and enhance AMC's market performance.
See More
AMC Partners with Telemundo for Live 2026 FIFA World Cup Screenings
- World Cup Live Streaming: AMC has partnered with Telemundo to broadcast live 2026 FIFA World Cup matches in U.S. theaters, particularly featuring high-interest teams like Mexico and Brazil, aimed at attracting Spanish-speaking audiences and maximizing underutilized daytime screens.
- Innovative Ticketing Model: Fans can purchase tickets through AMC's regular channels, enjoying cinema-grade projection and sound, which enhances the viewing experience while also generating additional food and beverage revenue for AMC, thereby reducing content risk.
- Market Expansion Potential: If the rollout for the 2026 World Cup performs well, AMC could establish a recurring model for hosting live sporting events in theaters across both hemispheres, further expanding its event cinema business model and enhancing market competitiveness.
- Strategic Partnership Advantage: By leveraging Telemundo's broadcasting rights, AMC sidesteps the complexities of negotiating directly with FIFA, positioning itself as an additional distribution channel for the broadcaster and gaining a favorable position in the sports live-streaming market.
See More
Meta's Forum App Poses New Threat to Reddit
- Stock Decline: Reddit shares fell approximately 6% on Friday, reflecting market concerns over Meta's new Forum app potentially impacting user congregation and discussions, leading to a nearly 40% decline in Reddit's stock this year.
- Increased Competition: The Forum app, launched as part of Facebook Groups, aims to compete with Reddit, with analysts noting that it could gradually erode Reddit's appeal to casual users who have less community loyalty.
- Advertising Growth: Despite competitive pressures, Reddit reported over 60% year-over-year sales growth in April, marking its seventh consecutive quarter of sales growth, indicating strong performance in its online advertising business.
- Analyst Recommendations: Truist analysts recommend buying Reddit stock, suggesting that even with new competition, Reddit's core user base is likely to remain loyal, while the impact on non-core users could be more significant.
See More
