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GameStop Poised to Trade With Tech Giants in Russell 1000

By:
Gerelyn Terzo
Published: Jun 17, 2021, 16:52 UTC

GameStop is being discussed as a potential addition to the Russell 1000 index, where some tech giants already belong.

S&P 500

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GameStop stock has had an impressive year, gaining almost 1,200% year-to-date and kicking off what has become a movement among retail investors. The stock has also reached a significant milestone that could qualify it to trade in the same index as some technology behemoths including Apple, Amazon, Facebook and even Tesla — the Russell 1000.

GameStop needed to have a market cap of USD 5.2 billion as of May 7 to be eligible, a standard that it passed with flying colors. On that date, its value was roughly USD 12 billion. The Russell 1000 index is reportedly set to be reorganized on June 25. To be fair, GameStop’s weighting would likely be small in comparison to the tech giants.

Still, should GameStop gain entry into this popular index, it could provide some long-term stability to the stock price. That is because index funds are a popular choice in retirement accounts via ETFs or mutual funds. As a result, GME could become part of the portfolio of many future retirees who might otherwise not hopped on the meme-stock bandwagon.

Good Company

When Tesla joined the Russell 1000 more than a decade ago, the stock was trading at less than USD 5 per share. Today the stock is trading at more than USD 616 per share. That’s not to say that the stock’s bull run has been a function of its membership in the Russell index. But it is a good sign and an indication of how beneficial it can be to be part of the index club.

In addition, Tesla recently joined the S&P 500 index on Dec. 21, 2020. To join the S&P 500, a stock must boast a market cap of at least USD 11.8 billion as one of the criteria. GameStop meets that criteria with a market cap of more than USD 16 billion. Perhaps it won’t be long before the market is talking about GME not only joining another Russell index (it currently trades in the smaller-cap Russell 2000) but also the benchmark U.S. stock market index, the S&P 500.

Meme Stock Bet

Meme stocks have proven to be some of the best bets of the year. Stocks like GameStop and AMC Entertainment have gone parabolic and gained comparisons to cryptocurrencies like bitcoin. On the commodities front, lumber has shed more than 40% of its value since hitting a multi-year high in early May. The gold price has managed to rise a modest 1.6% since then.

– Lumber is down 50%

– Bitcoin is down 30%

– Global debt is $281+ trillion

– Bonds yield nothing

– Gamestop and AMC have gone vertical

– Food costs and inflation are rising

And stocks might soon crash.

Few understand this.

— Michael A. Gayed, CFA (@leadlagreport) June 17, 2021

GameStop shares are tacking on more than 1% today on the index chatter.

About the Author

Gerelyn is a cryptocurrency and blockchain journalist who has been engaged in the space since mid-2017 when bitcoin was embarking on its first major bull run

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