The 3 Most Talked About Investments on WallStreetBets Right Now
WallStreetBets (WSB) burst onto the investing scene in early 2021 as retail investors banded together to take on institutional players. The popular trading subreddit led a short squeeze against hedge funds with large short positions in GameStop (NYSE: GME). GameStop shares soared due to the collective buying by WSB participants and the short covering that followed. Shares rose north of 1600% in Jan. 2021.
Short covering is when investors close out their short positions by buying shares as the stock price starts to rise instead of fall. This can help limit their losses, but it also causes shares to rise even higher as more buying takes place. In a short squeeze scenario, buying from one group and short covering from another can create a vicious cycle, causing the value of a stock to increase exponentially.
WSB remains an active forum on Reddit, where retail investors discuss stocks and other investments. The forum can serve as an interesting barometer for retail investor sentiment and focus. Below are the details on the three most mentioned stocks on WSB over the 30 days ended Feb. 21. This data comes from Quiver Quantitative.
NVIDIA: King of Intrigue Among Retail Investors for Good Reason
Just as it is among talking heads in financial media, chip giant NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) is the most talked-about investment on WSB. The stock garnered over 15,000 mentions on the forum over this 30-day window, far surpassing any other investment tracked by Quiver.
Mentions of NVIDIA understandably began separating from the rest of the pack after the firm’s Jan. 26 earnings release and the Jan. 27 DeepSeek sell-off. NVIDIA has been the main barometer for gauging the enthusiasm and progress surrounding the GenAI revolution. This has cemented its unrivaled importance in the current market for any one stock.
Sentiment for NVIDIA on WSB appears highly positive over the 30 days ended Feb. 21. Quiver tracked 1,872 mentions of calls during that period. This contrasts with the 700 mentions of puts.
WSB users didn’t appear to have their bullish sentiment dashed by the DeepSeek sell-off on Jan. 27. On that day and the four days afterward, total call mentions outweighed put mentions by over two to one.
WSB Interest Demonstrates the S&P 500’s Dominance
The second most mentioned investment on WSB over this 30-day window is the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSEARCA: SPY). SPY had over 10,000 mentions on WSB during this period.
SPY is one of the largest and most used ETFs that track the S&P 500 Index. With the S&P 500 being the most commonly used benchmark for large-cap U.S. stocks, it makes sense to see SPY being highly talked about on WSB.
Ultimately, where the S&P 500 goes likely has the largest cumulative impact on the entire stock market investing world. Interestingly, when adding in references to the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEARCA: VOO), mentions of these S&P 500 trackers top NVIDIA. Together, SPY and VOO mentions were over 16,000. This shows the dominating force of the S&P 500 Index.
It is difficult for even a stock like NVIDIA to top the collective interest by following the index. Sentiment was significantly less one-sided among these investments. Together, call mentions for SPY and VOO came in at just under 2,400 compared to 2,200 put mentions.
There’s Always Something to Talk About With Elon Musk’s Tesla
Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) took the third spot for most mentions over this 30-day window, with 6,400 mentions over the period. Tesla has become particularly known for its popularity among retail investors.
However, sentiment looks to have become somewhat bearish over this period. Put mentions came in at nearly 1,200, while call mentions were just over 950. This makes some sense, considering that Tesla shares fell over 20% between Jan. 21 and Feb. 21.
Tesla has been a hot topic in both financial and general media, especially since Trump took office. Elon Musk’s active involvement in the administration has created polarized views around the stock. Many argue that Musk is seeking and receiving favorable treatment for Tesla through his relationship with Trump.
However, there is also significant worry that his role in the administration will distract him from running Tesla to the best of his ability. Musk has been the firm's chief executive officer since 2008.
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