GoPro, Inc.
Long

Meme Camera Craze

154
The meme stock phenomenon has erupted several times in recent years: in the 2021 wave, the share prices of GameStop (GME), AMC Entertainment, and other small-cap companies nearly exploded almost unexpectedly due to the coordinated buying by the Reddit / r/WallStreetBets communities. A March 2025 analysis finds that the essence of meme stocks is that retail investors’ “viral” popularity on social media drives sudden surges in trading volume and explosive price spikes—often independently of the companies’ fundamental metrics. One hallmark of these firms is extreme volatility: dramatic price swings over short periods, driven more by social-media sentiment and coordinated buying pressure than by classic financial analysis.

GoPro (GPRO)—known for its action cameras—has exhibited large price swings without any fundamental corporate events. Analysts note that GoPro has become a “Robinhood favorite” and is increasingly treated as a new “play” on Reddit forums. This study examines GoPro from four angles: the impact of social media on its stock movement, its price volatility and speculative waves, the role of high short interest, and the activity of retail-investor forums (e.g., Reddit WSB).

Social Media Impact on Stock Movement
Social media and online forums are critical for meme stocks: TradingSim highlights that these stocks’ prices and volumes are strongly shaped by retail-investor social-media activity, resulting in highly volatile, sudden price jumps. GoPro is no exception. A Nasdaq/Motley Fool analysis reports that in the first week of March 2021, GoPro shares rose 13%, then jumped another 10.3% in a single day—even though no material company-specific news was released. This spike was attributed to high (~10.5%) short interest and WallStreetBets attention.

Retail day traders are thus hunting new names, and GoPro often tops their lists: “retail investors are on the lookout for fresh picks, and GoPro seems to fit the bill,” one WSB comment noted. A MarketBeat/Entrepreneur article emphasizes that meme stocks are frequently discovered through social-media buzz, triggering swift volume surges and price explosions regardless of fundamentals. Clearly, GoPro’s price can be moved at any time by unexpected social-media waves.

Price Volatility and Speculative Waves
GoPro’s share price shows sharp swings—“roller-coaster” moves with double-digit daily gains and pullbacks. For example, the Nasdaq article above notes the stock climbed 13% within a week and jumped another double digit in one day. This is typical of meme stocks: one day, FOMO drives the price up; the next, profit-taking or short selling unleashes a crash. TradingSim also points out that meme-stock volatility often detaches from traditional factors and instead hinges on social-media sentiment.

Furthermore, GoPro’s fundamentals rarely explain short-term moves. In March 2021 there was no significant operational news, yet a major rally occurred. On the other hand, the long-term trend has been weak: in 2024 the stock fell nearly 65% by year-end, reflecting broader market headwinds and underscoring that speculative waves alone can’t sustain growth. (Worth noting, some analysts expect improved sales in 2025.) Overall, GoPro’s short-term price action mirrors retail-investor sentiment swings more than corporate performance.

High Short Interest and Its Role
Meme stocks typically feature notably high short interest, amplifying speculative risk and setting the stage for short squeezes. TradingSim explains that high short interest in such names often primes them for squeezes if buying momentum builds. GoPro carried around a 10–14% short float in early 2021—comparable to Bed Bath & Beyond at the time—and as of spring 2025 still sits at roughly 8.1% short float, which is high (many blue-chip stocks run only 1–3%).

These figures imply that sudden retail buying can force shorts to cover, generating further upward pressure. Nasdaq’s analysis underlines that GoPro’s 10.5%+ short float in March 2021 likely fueled its rally as shorts rushed to close positions. SEC reports caution that high short-interest stocks are prime targets for coordinated retail actions aiming for squeezes. Thus, GoPro’s relatively high short interest joins it to the classic meme-stock hallmarks.

Retail Investor Community Activity (Reddit, WallStreetBets)
Online retail-investor forums remain central to GoPro’s hype. Reddit’s r/WallStreetBets community regularly seeks new “meme plays,” and GoPro often surfaces in their discussions. Analyses find that these groups can mobilize rapidly, generating massive buying pressure that produces market-disrupting moves, including repeated short squeezes. Experts argue that successful meme-stock trading almost requires active monitoring of Reddit/WSB and similar channels.

GoPro’s coverage on these forums—through posts and user-generated analyses—keeps it in retail traders’ sights. While the tone is often ironic and slang-laden (“hold,” “ape,” etc.), their impact is real: TradeSim notes that social-media sentiment drives meme markets more than financial fundamentals. Whether the GoPro hype continues is uncertain, but retail attention remains high and the potential for coordinated actions endures.

Conclusions
Our analysis shows that GoPro exhibits multiple characteristics of famous meme stocks like GameStop and AMC:

Social Media Impact: GoPro’s price often reacts sharply to retail communities’ buzz. It features as a Robinhood favorite and is increasingly discussed on Reddit, meaning a single WSB post or media mention can trigger broad buying waves.

High Volatility: GoPro shares can swing 10–15% in a single day, despite stable corporate metrics—mirroring the dramatic moves typical of meme stocks.

Elevated Short Interest: With past floats above 10% and current levels near 8%, GoPro’s short interest is high enough to enable potential short squeezes—one of the core traits identified during the GameStop–AMC saga.

Active Retail Forums: Beyond WSB, other investor groups actively discuss GoPro. Research shows that following Reddit and similar channels is crucial for participating in meme-stock rallies, and GoPro remains a popular target for these coordinated efforts.

In sum, GoPro’s price behavior aligns closely with the speculative patterns of top meme stocks: it is highly susceptible to social-media hype, shows extreme volatility, carries high short interest, and enjoys active retail-investor coordination. Investors attracted to GoPro for its meme-stock profile should be aware that they are betting on sentiment-driven swings, which can yield rapid gains or steep losses. Nonetheless, by these metrics, GoPro can justifiably be regarded as a meme stock in its own right.

Sources Used:
This study draws on key analyses showing that meme stocks’ prices and volumes are driven by social-media activity. GoPro’s specific examples are supported by financial reports from Nasdaq, Motley Fool, and other outlets.

Disclaimer

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