GameStop’s stock price cratered on Tuesday, falling 60% to $90 a share. The drop signaled that the popular WallStreetBets Reddit stock market discussion board — a major force behind last week’s spectacular rally in the troubled video game retailer’s shares and others’— may be losing its magic to move the market.
The GameStop tumble followed a large reduction in short interest on the stock, which measures how many of the company’s shares have been borrowed to sell. Many had pointed to that previously high short interest, and the fact that hedge funds and others betting against the video game retailer had been squeezed, as a reason GameStop’s shares had soared.
“These things can last longer than people expect, but when they unwind, they can unwind pretty fast,” said Ross Mayfield, investment strategist at Baird. “When it’s complete speculation mania and gambling, someone is…
