AMC surges 126% as Reddit cheerleaders overpower large hedge-fund share sale

• Shares of AMC Entertainment surged as much as 126% on Wednesday before trading was halted for volatility.
• The move comes after hedge fund Mudrick Capital dumped shares on the same day it was disclosed the firm bought 8.5 million units.
• Retail traders on sites like Reddit remained bullish on the meme stock.

AMC Entertainment surged Wednesday despite a share dump from hedge fund Mudrick Capital.

Shares of the world's largest movie theater operator jumped as much as 126% to trade around $72, triggering a halt for volatility. The surge built on Tuesday's gains, which pushed the stock 23% higher during the session to close at $32.04. AMC shares have now spiked almost 500% in just seven trading days.

The Leawood, Kansas-based company announced Tuesday it raised $230.5 million in cash after agreeing to sell 8.5 million shares to Mudrick Capital for $27.12 each, a dollar higher than the stock's Friday closing price. Shares surged following the news as the company said it would use the funds to make acquisitions, improve consumer appeal, and deleveraging.

Just hours after the announcement, Mudrick Capital sold its entire stake at a profit, Bloomberg reported. Despite the share dump, the meme stock continued its rally early Wednesday as retail traders remained bullish. The stock remained one of the top talked-about companies on Reddit threads like Wall Street Bets, HypeEquity data showed.

AMC has led a broader rally in meme stocks, like GameStop and BlackBerry, so far this week amid renewed interest in the retail-trader favorites. BlackBerry, for its part, closed 15% higher at $11.56 Tuesday and continued rallying in early morning trading, as GameStop closed 12% higher at $27.02 Tuesday and upticked just slightly Wednesday.

Last week, shares of the movie theater operator rallied for days after private Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group announced it sold nearly all of its remaining stake in the company. Retail traders cheered the newly available shares, more than doubling the stock price through the course of the week.

Retail traders have invested in heavily shorted stocks like AMC and GameStop, in an effort to squeeze short sellers, who have lost billions on their bets. But shorts haven't given up as short interest in the stocks is 21%, according to MarketBeat data.

If you're a Millennial or Gen Z investor willing to share your investing experience, reach out to the reporter of this article at ndailey@insider.com.

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