REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File PhotoJuly 24 (Reuters) - Meme stocks have surged in the last few weeks as retail investors shun pricier stocks for cheaper speculative names, but some experts worry that this could choke the current rally in broader markets.
At a time when the wider rally has made some stocks, especially in the tech space, too expensive, the return of meme stocks is offering retail investors a more affordable option to participate in 2023's market rebound and pocket big returns.
Roundhill's Meme index (.MEME) hit a one-year high last week and was last up 60% for 2023 so far, dwarfing gains of more than 18% recorded by the benchmark S&P 500 (.SPX).
Retail investors poured in $1.27 billion per day on average into U.S. equities in July, closing in on the all-time record of $1.5 billion a day in March, Vanda Research said.
The meme index consists of 25 equal-weighted U.S.-listed stocks with a combination of elevated social media activity and high short interest.
Persons:
Dado Ruvic, Thomas Hayes, Vanda, Dennis Dick, Bansari Mayur, Lance Tupper, Devika
Organizations:
REUTERS, NYSE, Microsoft, Great, Vanda Research, Triple D, AMC Entertainment, AMC, Thomson
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Great Hill, Bengaluru, New York