GameStop Frenzy's Long-Term Impact on Young Investors
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 29 2026
0mins
Source: CNBC
- Rise of Young Investors: GameStop's stock surged over 1,600% in January 2021, drawing a significant number of young investors into the market for the first time, highlighting the profound impact of zero-commission trading and social media on investment behavior.
- Increased Market Participation: Research indicates that approximately 4.5% of GameStop traders opened brokerage accounts after January 13, 2021, demonstrating that this phenomenon attracted a considerable number of new investors, particularly those under 30.
- Changing Investment Psychology: Young investors now expect an average return of 36%, significantly higher than the historical 10% for stocks, reflecting their response to economic pressures and a desire for substantial gains.
- Risk and Reward Dynamics: While GameStop generated significant investment interest, many latecomers faced losses averaging around 13%, illustrating the potential risks young investors encounter when pursuing high-risk investments.
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Analyst Views on AMC
Wall Street analysts forecast AMC stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for AMC is 2.15 USD with a low forecast of 1.30 USD and a high forecast of 3.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
4 Analyst Rating
0 Buy
3 Hold
1 Sell
Hold
Current: 1.480
Low
1.30
Averages
2.15
High
3.00
Current: 1.480
Low
1.30
Averages
2.15
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.
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