What Is GameStop (GME) Stock? A Trading Guide

Everything you need to know about GameStop and how to trade GME CFDs on Plus500.

Plus500 Experts • Mar 2026 • 5 min read

What you'll learn

• What is GameStop (GME)?
• Why does GME attract traders?
• What moves GME's price?
• Trade GME your way
• Why trade GME with us?
• Understanding GME risks
• Key takeaways

GameStop (GME): Company Overview & History

GameStop Corp. (NYSE: GME) is an American video game and electronics retailer, founded in 1984 and headquartered in Grapevine, Texas. The company sells new and pre-owned games, consoles, and accessories through physical stores and online channels. At its peak, GameStop operated over 6,700 stores worldwide, making it the largest video game retailer.

The rise of digital game downloads through platforms such as Steam, PlayStation Network, and Xbox Game Pass significantly eroded GameStop's traditional business model throughout the 2010s. By the late 2010s, the company was posting declining revenues and closing stores at a pace.

GameStop Price History

The 2021 Short Squeeze explained

In January 2021, GameStop became the centre of one of the most dramatic short squeezes in stock market history. Retail investors, coordinating via Reddit's WallStreetBets community, collectively purchased GME shares and options. Hedge funds holding large short positions were forced to buy back shares to cover their losses, driving the price up by over 1,700% in a matter of weeks. The event drew global regulatory attention and brought concepts such as short selling, short interest, and retail trading power into mainstream public discourse.

GameStop in 2026: Strategy & Performance

Ryan Cohen, co-founder of Chewy, joined GameStop's board in early 2021 and became CEO in September 2023. Under his leadership, the company has undergone significant strategic changes:

• Continued store closures, 590 stores were shuttered in fiscal year 2024 alone.
• A move into Bitcoin as a corporate treasury reserve asset, announced in March 2025.
• A ~$9 billion cash reserve, with Cohen pursuing a major acquisition of a publicly traded consumer company.
• Net income of $131.3 million for fiscal year 2024, a significant improvement from $6.7 million in fiscal year 2023.
• As of 9 March 2026, GameStop's price range is $23.80 to $24.37 per share.

GME as a Meme Stock: What It Means for Traders

GameStop is widely considered the original meme stock, a share whose price is driven as much by social sentiment and retail community activity as by traditional fundamentals.

Five years after the original squeeze, retail investor participation in markets remains at record levels, with GME continuing to act as a barometer for retail sentiment.

What drives GME's stock price?

GME's price drivers are distinct from most traditional stocks. Traders should be aware of the following key influences:

Social Media & Retail Sentiment

The SEC confirmed a close, positive correlation between GME's price and the volume of posts discussing the stock on social platforms. A surge in online activity can precede a sharp price move.

Corporate Announcements

GameStop's strategic decisions carry an outsized market impact. The Bitcoin treasury announcement in March 2025 triggered an immediate price reaction. CEO Ryan Cohen's hints at a major acquisition deal in early 2026 similarly moved the stock.

Short Interest

GME historically carries elevated short interest. When short sellers are forced to buy back shares ,a short squeeze ,the price can rise rapidly and steeply, as seen in 2021 and in smaller episodes since, although past performance is not an indicator for future results.

Earnings Releases

Revenue trends and profitability data influence sentiment. Annual revenue for fiscal year 2024 was $3.823 billion, a 27.5% decline year-on-year, though net income improved substantially.

Broader Market Conditions

As a high-volatility, sentiment-sensitive stock, GME tends to amplify both market-wide risk-on and risk-off moves. USD strength, interest rates, and macroeconomic data all play a role.

How to Trade GameStop (GME) CFDs

With Plus500, you can trade GME Contracts for Difference (CFDs) to gain exposure to the share's price movements without owning the underlying stock.

Fact: Leverage lets you open a larger position with a smaller deposit. With 1:5 leverage, every $1 you deposit gives you exposure to $5 of GME's market value. While leverage can magnify gains, it equally amplifies losses if the price moves against your position.

How to get started

1. Open an account
2. Practise risk-free on a Demo account
3. Trade in Real mode when you are ready

Why trade GME CFDs with Plus500?

• ➕ Fast and reliable order execution
• ➕ No Buy / Sell trading commissions* and tight spreads
• ➕ Advanced analytical tools and 100+ technical indicators
• ➕ Fast and secure withdrawals
• ➕ Trade both long and short

*Other fees may apply

GME Trading Risks: What You Need to Know

GME is among the most volatile stocks on the NYSE. Its price is not always tethered to traditional valuation metrics, earnings, revenue, or book value, and can move sharply based on social media activity alone. Traders should treat GME as a high-risk instrument.

The company's core retail business continues to decline, with ongoing store closures and falling revenues. While the balance sheet holds approximately $9 billion in cash, the strategic direction, whether acquisitions, Bitcoin, or otherwise, remains uncertain. That uncertainty is itself a source of volatility.

Exit strategy & risk management

Essential risk management tools are key to help manage your exposure and can be used to protect potential gains and minimise potential losses with a volatile stock like GME:

• Close at Loss sets a price at which your CFD position will automatically close to limit potential losses.
• Close at Profit secures potential gains by closing a position once a specified profit level is reached.
• Trailing Stop trails the market price in your favour by a set distance, locking in gains as the price moves.
• Guaranteed Stop ensures your position closes at the exact price you set, with no risk of slippage due to volatility or gapping.

These tools are particularly critical for a stock like GME, where price moves can be sudden and extreme.

Key takeaways:

• GameStop is a US-listed video game retailer (NYSE: GME), widely known as the original meme stock following its 2021 short squeeze.
• GME combines high volatility, strong retail sentiment, and frequent corporate catalysts, all of which create active price movements.
• Social media activity, short interest, CEO announcements (Bitcoin, acquisitions), earnings data, and broader market risk sentiment.
• Access GME via Share CFDs on Plus500, with leverage.
• Open an account, practise on the free Demo, then trade for real.
• GME is highly volatile and sentiment-driven. Use risk management tools ,Close at Loss, Trailing Stop, Guaranteed Stop ,to manage exposure.