Retail Investors Drive Meme Stock Market Transformation in 2025
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 07 2026
0mins
Should l Buy AMC?
Source: Benzinga
- Increased Retail Power: In 2025, retail investors accounted for 20-25% of U.S. equity market volume, peaking at 35% at times, indicating a significant rise in their influence, compelling institutional investors to reassess their strategies.
- Shift in Meme Stocks: The focus of meme stocks has transitioned from traditional high short-interest stocks to more speculative areas like nuclear energy, clean energy, and cryptocurrencies, yet stocks like OpenDoor and Krispy Kreme continue to attract retail interest, highlighting market volatility.
- Heightened Market Volatility: Over the past year, OpenDoor's stock surged by 330.43%, while Krispy Kreme fell by 54.33%, illustrating the extreme volatility of meme stocks and the need for investors to navigate these risks cautiously.
- Expert Warnings: Experts like Jim Cramer and Ray Dalio caution against blindly chasing meme stocks, emphasizing that neglecting fundamentals and valuations can lead to significant investment mistakes, urging investors to remain rational in their pursuit of short-term gains.
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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: 1.390
Low
1.30
Averages
2.15
High
3.00
Current: 1.390
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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- Tesla's Market Position: In 2023, Tesla surpassed the SPDR S&P 500 ETF to become the most purchased stock by retail investors, reflecting its skyrocketing popularity among small-scale investors, having not even made the top 20 four years prior.
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- Narrowing Net Loss: While the expected Q4 net loss is anticipated to narrow to about $127.4 million from $135.6 million in the prior year, the full-year net loss is projected to widen to approximately $632.4 million, reflecting ongoing financial pressures on the company.
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- 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.
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- Financial Preview: AMC anticipates fourth-quarter total revenue of approximately $1.29 billion, falling short of analysts' forecast of $1.38 billion, with an expected net loss of about $127.4 million, indicating ongoing challenges in revenue and profitability.
- Annual Outlook: For 2025, AMC expects total revenue of approximately $4.85 billion, an increase from $4.64 billion in 2024, but anticipates a net loss widening to $632.4 million, reflecting a slow recovery in the industry.
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See More
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- New Documentary Impact: The release of Amazon's documentary about Melania Trump is not expected to significantly alter this perception.
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