AMC launches a new program to communicate with its rabid base of day traders, and the perks include special screenings and free popcorn

• AMC Entertainment is launching a new program to communicate with retail investors.
• The millions of investors can sign up for "AMC Investor Connect" for perks like free popcorn.
• Retail traders sent the stock to an all-time high Wednesday despite a hedge-fund share dump.

AMC Entertainment wants to keep in touch with the army of retail traders that helped push the stock to an all-time high Wednesday.

The movie-theater chain announced Wednesday it would launch a new initiative called "AMC Investor Connect" to put the company "in direct communication with its extraordinary base of enthusiastic and passionate individual shareholders" with information and perks - like a free large popcorn at the movies this summer.

"Many of our investors have demonstrated support and confidence in AMC," CEO Adam Aron said in the statement. "We intend to communicate often with these investors, and from time to time provide them with special benefits at our theatres."

AMC said the program will provide communications directly from the CEO, free or discounted items, invitations to special screenings, and "interesting information" about the company and its "place in the movie eco-system." The company said investors worldwide can sign up but must first be AMC Stubs members.

AMC, along with others like GameStop and BlackBerry, has become a retail favorite in the new trend of meme stocks. Traders on sites like Reddit and Twitter have poured into the stock, in part to squeeze short sellers betting against the company.

As of March 11, more than 3.2 million shares, or 80% of the company's ownership, belonged to retail investors, AMC said in the statement.

The new initiative isn't the first time the company has reached out to retail investors. During March and May investor calls, Aron thanked the millions of retail traders who have backed the stock in recent months - sending it to all-time highs and adding $120 million to his fortune - and said he's optimistic about the new horde of investors.

"Just go on Twitter, just go on Reddit, just go on YouTube, read what these people write. They love AMC," Aron said on the May 6 call, according to a transcript from Seeking Alpha. "These are not people who are just going to be investors in AMC. These are going to be customers of AMC who come to our theaters and enjoy watching movies at our theaters as paying guests."

The army of retail investors backing the stock have remained optimistic despite large backers exiting their positions. Tuesday, AMC announced an agreement for an 8.5 million-share sale to the hedge fund Mudrick Capital, and hours later the fund dumped the shares at a profit.

But retail traders on sites like Reddit's Wall Street Bets and Twitter continued sending the price higher, as the stock rallied 29% to an all-time high share price above $40 Wednesday. The hashtag #AMCARMY trended on Twitter amid the surge.

And last week, the private Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group sold most of its remaining stake in the company, and retail traders cheered the new opportunity to buy up shares.