In a week that has left Wall Street watchers with a sense of déjà vu, Beyond Meat has become the latest stock to capture the feverish attention of retail investors, mirroring the unforgettable GameStop saga of 2021. Over just four days, shares of the plant-based meat producer skyrocketed by an astonishing 1,300%, only to tumble just as dramatically as speculation and volatility reached a fever pitch.
The rally’s ignition point came from a significant announcement: Walmart would be expanding Beyond Meat’s product range to more than 2,000 stores across the United States, adding items like chicken pieces, Korean BBQ-style steak, and burger six-packs to its shelves. According to the Economic Times, this expansion was quickly seized upon by retail traders as a sign of possible turnaround for the embattled company, which has been struggling with weak demand and mounting debt.
But the real accelerant was a familiar one. As reported by Quartz, a Dubai-based trader began touting Beyond Meat on social media platforms such as Reddit and YouTube, echoing the internet-fueled campaigns that sent GameStop and AMC shares soaring in years past. The result: a stampede of retail investors, many of them drawn from the ranks of Reddit’s r/wallstreetbets community, piled into the stock.
By Wednesday, October 22, 2025, Beyond Meat’s stock had swung wildly, jumping as much as 112% during the day before ending 1.1% lower. After hours, shares slid 20% to $2.86 as of 4:27 PM in New York, according to the Economic Times. The volatility was so intense that $5.9 billion in shares changed hands on October 21—more than four times the company’s market value, as Quartz noted.
It’s a story of extremes. Last Thursday, shares were languishing at just 52 cents. By Wednesday morning, they had reached a pre-market high of $7.33—a jaw-dropping 1,400% increase—before settling at $6.24 at the start of trading. The Kobeissi Letter, cited by BloombergQuint, observed, "At 5:15 AM ET, Beyond Meat, $BYND, became a $3.5 BILLION company, just 6 days after hitting a record low of $195 million." Yet, only seven hours later, the stock erased a 160% gain and was down as much as 31% on the day, valued at $1 billion. "What is happening here?" the post asked, capturing the collective bewilderment of traders and analysts alike.
Much of the rally’s force came from a classic short squeeze. Nearly 64% of Beyond Meat’s available shares had been sold short as of the end of September, Quartz reported. This meant that as prices rose, investors betting against the stock were forced to buy shares to cover their positions, further fueling the price surge. As BloombergQuint described, "The short squeeze added more upward pressure in the stock."
The addition of Beyond Meat to Roundhill Investments’ Meme Stock ETF on Monday, October 20, gave further legitimacy—and momentum—to the rally. Retail traders interpreted the move as a sign that Beyond Meat had been officially anointed as the next big meme stock, reminiscent of the GameStop and AMC frenzies that upended Wall Street’s expectations and humbled hedge funds.
Yet, for all the excitement, the fundamentals tell a different story. Beyond Meat, once a market darling after its 2019 Nasdaq debut at over $230 per share, has seen its fortunes wane. The El Segundo, California-based company has struggled with sluggish sales, persistent losses, and a heavy debt load. Net revenue fell 15% in the first six months of 2025, and the company has not reported a quarterly profit in over five years, as highlighted by BBC.
The company’s struggles were compounded last week when the expiration of lock-up restrictions on 326 million new shares—part of a broader plan to cut debt and extend repayment timelines—freed shareholders to sell, adding yet another layer of volatility. As the Economic Times noted, this move initially sent the stock tumbling before meme stock traders swooped in to reverse its fortunes, at least temporarily.
Market experts remain skeptical about the sustainability of the surge. Mark Hackett, chief market strategist at Nationwide, called the Walmart deal a potential "transformational" catalyst that could help rebound demand. However, he cautioned, "[It] doesn't necessarily fix all the issues," and noted that the current trading is based more on "emotions and technicals, versus fundamentals," according to BloombergQuint.
Indeed, the disconnect between trading activity and financial reality is stark. Despite the breathtaking rally, Beyond Meat’s stock is still down 8% over the past 12 months and remains a shadow of its former self, far below the heights of its 2019 debut. Six of the eight analysts covering the company rate it a sell, underscoring widespread doubts about its long-term prospects, as Quartz reported.
For many retail investors, however, the fundamentals seem almost beside the point. The meme stock phenomenon has become a cultural movement as much as a financial one, with online communities banding together to send a message to Wall Street’s old guard. As Quartz pointed out, some see meme stock investing as relatively harmless fun, while others warn of the dangers of pump-and-dump schemes and the added layer of volatility they introduce to an already uneasy market. Even Reddit’s r/wallstreetbets, a key player in these movements, acknowledged the risks in posts about Beyond Meat.
The week’s events have also reignited debates about the role of social media in financial markets. The Dubai-based trader who helped ignite the rally was quick to post on Reddit and share YouTube videos, urging others to join in. It’s a reminder of how quickly sentiment can shift in the digital age, and how traditional market signals can be drowned out by viral enthusiasm.
For Beyond Meat itself, the Walmart distribution deal offers a glimmer of hope amid ongoing challenges. If the expanded presence in Walmart stores can revive consumer interest, it could mark the beginning of a genuine turnaround. But as Mark Hackett and other analysts caution, one deal—no matter how promising—cannot erase years of sluggish sales and persistent losses overnight.
As the dust settles after a whirlwind week, the fate of Beyond Meat’s stock remains uncertain. Will it settle back into obscurity, or is this the start of a new chapter for the company? For now, one thing is clear: the meme stock phenomenon is alive and well, and Wall Street—and Main Street—are watching closely.
