DD Support Board and Research Team

[DragonBear]

YIKES! "28% of Americans bought GameStop or other viral stocks in January

That is pitiful.

The GameStop frenzy, kicked off by the subreddit r/wallstreetbets, struck a chord with many retail investors and individuals who resented what they viewed as the Wall Street establishment, a few hedge funds that had shorted the stock, betting it would go down.

Investing by politics? Hit that evil establishment!

I'd prefer to go with BigBake's less thrilling

Explanation

Retail starts the ball rolling, and then a Hedgie gets clobbered by a few others. Not the first Hedgie war in stock history.

The survey data speaks to the scope of the tug of war between short-sellers and retail investors flooding the market with money.

Incorrect. The market is awash in money courtesy of the Fed, and M2 money supply. T-bill 10 yr yields in the toilet. Another house price bubble underway. A Crypto/tulip bubble. SPAC mania. It isn't due to Reddit retail traders flooding the market with money. The market has already been flooded with money.

Despite recent losses, GameStop is up more than 150% year-to-date

With the Hedgies who participated on the Long side, sneaking out the side door slowly. For the stock they have left. Probably selling Calls on the side, as a Hedge if they can't get all of the way out.