GameStop jumps after report that Cohen’s picture with Saylor meant what traders hoped it did
GameStop is spiking after-hours as CNBC reports that the retailer slash meme stock slash T-bill fund is considering investing in bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
This would be exactly what GameStop bulls were suspecting when they bid up the stock after CEO Ryan Cohen posted a photo with Strategy CEO Michael Saylor, whose company holds more bitcoin on its balance sheet than any other.
However, the article, citing sources familiar with the matter, says Saylor isn’t involved in any of the discussions on whether or not to proceed with such a tactic and that no plans are concrete at this time.
GameStop has about $4.6 billion in highly liquid assets thanks to its share sales during the meme-stock booms and interest on the securities it holds, which, for reference, would be enough to buy nearly 48,000 bitcoin at current prices. From T-bills to bitcoin would be one helluva lurch in the risk profile of a corporate treasury, to state the obvious.
CNBC pundit Jim Cramer, by the way, proposed a version of this idea back in 2021:
Ryan Cohen tells the board to sell 10 million shares of Gamestop at $200 and buys Bitcoin and says Gamestop is now a Bitcoin store that also sells games. Bingo! There's the plan. I bet the cfo said no to the Bitcoin plan. Bitstop? Gamebit? Gamecoin?
— Jim Cramer (@jimcramer) February 25, 2021