Meme stock resurgence prompts return of central meme investment fund
[October 09, 2025] By
DAMIAN J. TROISE
NEW YORK (AP) — A resurgence of meme stock interest has prompted the
return of a one-stop fund for the volatile and quirky investments.
Roundhill Investments is launching a meme ETF, which is an
exchange-traded fund consisting solely of meme stocks. Several of those
stocks have ridden a wave of meme investment sentiment this year. The
move comes two years after the provider of ETFs closed the fund because
of slumping interest. The new fund trades under the “MEME” symbol.
Investors have been sporadically turning to meme stocks throughout 2025
in an effort to find bargains amid a very pricey stock market. The S&P
500 has had a busy year setting records. That has made it more difficult
for investors to find stocks at lower prices that have potential for
growth.
“Meme stocks started as a rebellion but have grown into a revolution,”
said Dave Mazza, CEO of Roundhill Investments. "With MEME, we offer
investors a tool to capture that power through an actively managed ETF
that can rotate quickly into the stocks dominating the conversation
today.”
The biggest weight in the ETF is Opendoor Technologies, which has had a
volatile year. The real estate company’s stock was trading below $1 per
share through early July, then surged above $3 that month as hedge fund
manager Eric Jackson touted the stock on X. It fell back a bit, then
gained more steam and closed above $9 on Tuesday.
Other heavyweights in the index include Plug Power, which focuses on
hydrogen fuel cell technology, and data center company Applied Digital.
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Pedestrians pass a GameStop store on 14th Street at Union Square,
Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021, in the Manhattan borough of New York. (AP
Photo/John Minchillo, File)
 Meme stocks include companies with
financial prospects that appear dim, but then gain ground for no
seemingly fundamental reason. The stock gains are often fueled by
online forums.
The stocks are often the target of “short sellers,” or investors
betting against the stock. That sometimes prompts other investors to
start buying the stock in an effort to get the people betting
against the stock to do the same in order to cushion their own
losses. This starts a cycle that further boosts the stock price.
It's a risky strategy and the gains can evaporate as quickly as they
came.
Some of the more well-known meme stocks making big moves earlier
this year included doughnut maker Krispy Kreme, camera maker GoPro
and plant-based meat maker Beyond Meat.
The original meme stock is GameStop. In 2021, the company was
struggling to survive and major investors were betting against the
video game retailer. Investor Keith Gill, better known as “Roaring
Kitty,” rallied other investors to join him in buying up thousands
of GameStop shares, changing the trajectory of the stock.
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