Finance

GameStop stock: Making sense of the madness

What’s happening and why

Published

January 29, 2021

GadgetMatch and Shivam Vahia and Luigi Leonardo

Illustration by MJ Jucutan

Late last week, Reddit woke up to a strange but oddly foreboding revolution: a call to buy stock from ailing video game store GameStop. The trend’s seeds, an explosive thread from the oft underrepresented but equally as chaotic subreddit r/WallStreetBets, spoke of the stock’s inherent strength after a period of stagnation borne from the pandemic. Naturally, no one believed the seemingly meme-worthy claim.

Now, a week later, GameStop is one of the most profitable stocks on Wall Street, to everyone’s surprise. If you weren’t on Reddit when everything went haywire, you’re likely wondering what happened. Why is GameStop trending? Should you buy GameStop stock now? It’s not as simple as 1-2-3.

The tech players

On the tech side of things, the biggest two factors are, obviously, Reddit and, less obviously, micro-investing apps.

Last year, a heavy r/WallStreetBets user, u/DeepFuckingValue, heavily speculated on GameStop’s eventual success. The Redditor poured in US$ 50,000 for shares in GME. In investing as much into the seemingly dying stock, they, along with others who followed in their path, hoped to cause a short squeeze on all those who bet options on its failure.

This is where micro-investing apps come in. r/WallStreetBets is not a community for investment firms or professionals. Most of the community are middle-class Americans, trying to find the next big pick for a quick buck. That said, the requirements of more robust investing firms are often too steep for the average American. Like Robinhood and Webull, micro-investing apps allow users to purchase stocks without a minimum required and easily from their phone.

With an easy-to-use app, r/WallStreetBets raised an army of GME buyers, which rapidly skyrocketed the stock’s price. The stock was up 6000 percent since its low point last summer. While Reddit gained traction as the trend went along, other investors saw the trend and bought into it without even knowing about Reddit’s involvement until it was too late.

So how did a Reddit community take down a hedge fund?

To understand how the Redditors managed to take on hedge funds with billions of assets under management, we need to understand the meaning of a “short.” A short is when a trader borrows stock from a broker and immediately sells it at the current price. The brokers, in this case, are micro-investing apps like Robinhood.

On an ordinary day, if you buy Stock A for US$ 10 and sell it for US$ 12, your realized profit is said to be US$ 2. This is the fundamental concept on which every business runs. On the other hand, a short-seller places a bet that the stock price will fall so that they can purchase the stock back at a lower price and return it to the broker. In this case, they profit from the difference between the original price at which the stock was sold and the price at which it was repurchased.

In simpler terms, if the trader borrowed the stock for US$ 12 and repurchased it at US$ 10, the realized profit is said to be US$ 2. But the risk involved is equally the same. If the stock price does not decrease like the trader had expected and rises to US$ 14, the trader ends up taking a loss of US$ 2 because they have borrowed the stock from the broker and need to pay for it.

In GME, Melvin Capital, a hedge fund based out of New York, had bets against the stock by short-selling its shares. Members of r/WallStreetBets decided to start accumulating GME so that the price climbs and inflicts a loss on Melvin’s short. The move is called a “short squeeze” and took the stock’s value from US$ 17 (at the beginning of 2021) to US$ 150 when trading closed on January 26.

Seeing GME climb unrealistic valuations, it soon caught the attention of pretty much every trader or investor in the US. What started as a micro-managed movement against a hedge fund became a widespread revolt against the bears. In the end, Melvin was forced to close its position on GME and had to take external support from its backers Citadel and Point72, who pumped US$ 3 billion in the fund to keep it alive.

A micro class war

Unsurprisingly, bigger investors hated GME’s sudden uptrend. The success went against everything their system stood for. In fact, a lot of them called for an official investigation against Reddit for market manipulation. The calls, however, haven’t materialized into any solid repercussions at the time of this writing.

And why would they? As liberal politician Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) put it, “it’s really something to see Wall Streeters with a long history of treating our economy as a casino complain about a message board of posters also treating the market as a casino.” Reddit was merely playing the same game as Wall Street.

Out of political options, Wall Street then went after Reddit’s trade tools, the same micro-investing apps that touted a democratized stock market for the middle class. As of Thursday, Robinhood and its contemporaries have stopped or limited buying any more Reddit-implicated stocks. Investors can only sell, but no one is budging. Soon after the announcement, AOC (and surprisingly, Republican Ted Cruz) is pushing for a formal investigation against Robinhood for market manipulation, the same accusation levied against Reddit.

And so, the meme-worthy investing boom turned into a micro class war between the tough-as-nails, nothing-to-lose Redditors versus long-standing, ultra-rich investors. Echoing the remnants of the Occupy Wall Street movement from years past, both parties are now locked in a tense game of chicken to see who blinks first.

To Wall Street’s dismay, the investors of Reddit have almost nothing to lose and absolutely everything to gain. Most have already inured themselves to heavy losses on the stock market. If Wall Street wants to complete, they will be forced to expose their system’s double standards against the average investor.

The repercussions of the war

For most, it’s revenge. The whole point of the short squeeze was to make brokers and funds lose money. We are a crucial junction in time where we’re seeing the norms of capitalism getting challenged. The rich have always jokingly said that the stock market is open for all and that anyone can be rich by leveraging it.

Well, a few folks took it quite seriously and decided to unleash the market’s true potential. Turning the tables in one’s favor. It isn’t just GameStop. Reddit users have started encouraging people to buy shares in Blackberry and AMC theaters.

This is a truly modern, digital, and anonymous vigilantism. People are fed up with the 1 percent and are hitting back in whichever way possible. However, the GME saga has clearly shown us the prime drawbacks of the system. In response to the stock’s unrealistic climb, Robinhood would restrict trading for GameStop and others, effectively preventing investors from purchasing more shares of the stocks. For an app that’s focused on democratizing finance for all, this isn’t a confidence-building measure.

According to Financial Times, US$ 39 million of Robinhood’s revenues come from equities, and options order flow comes from Citadel Securities, a part of Citadel. And it repressed a whopping 35 percent of Robinhood’s revenues. Can two financial institutions rub each other’s backs while smaller clients (retail investors) are left to fend for their own?

Many experts have pointed out that the future of the stock markets will be in everyone’s hands and not just institutions. Even though individuals were always allowed to use the exchanges, they never had any considerable central power against larger funds.

In a nutshell, Reddit has forced the world to reconsider our fundamental financial systems and how they’re played by a few too powerful players. The White House and the SEC are both monitoring the situation with GameStop and the larger stock market.

Features

Make every peso count on your holiday trip with Wise

Make every peso count

Published

December 15, 2025

GadgetMatch

Dreaming of a holiday abroad but worried about hidden costs eating into your budget?

This Christmas season, overseas vacations are always a great idea — whether it’s solo or a group trip with friends, or with loved ones and family.

Exploring new food, culture, and shopping abroad is the ultimate reward for a year’s hard work.

However, airfare, accommodation, and other expenses can quickly make such trips costly. Add to that extra charges, like transaction fees and fluctuating conversion rates.

Thankfully, there are several ways to make every peso count when traveling. Wise, a global technology company, offers smart tips to spend and manage money internationally better so you can make your trip more affordable and enjoyable.

Track your expenses

The simplest way to build up for a long-awaited holiday trip is to budget ahead and start saving as soon as you can.

You can start by tracking your daily expenses with budgeting apps. You’ll see how small purchases add up, giving you the awareness to budget more effectively.

For instance, daily spending habits like buying coffee outside can add up quickly. A PhP 200 coffee a day at a major chain equals PhP 6,000 a month, or even PhP 72,000 annually. That’s more than enough for a three-day family trip to your dream destination.

Outside of travel, that can become your funds for Christmas gifts, new clothes, and further treats for yourself.

Deposit travel savings into a separate account

Knowing that you will travel in the future, the next step is to decide where to keep it. You can transfer a portion of your 13th month pay or Christmas bonus to a separate account to grow your travel fund.

This is where Wise comes in handy. For travels, it holds money in more than 40 currencies. The Wise Jar feature also helps users organize money for different trips. It’s a great way to protect funds, stay consistent, and prevent overspending.

Once you’ve secured your travel fund, the next challenge is making sure you spend it wisely abroad.

Prioritize experiences over expenses

A simple mindset of valuing experiences and creating memories over material things like souvenirs can go a long way.

Sure, happiness looks different for everyone, but there are several budget-friendly activities abroad that offer the authentic experience. There are free walking tours and tourist pass bundles for a lower price.

And with just your smartphone or portable camera, those moments will stay with you long after the trip ends.

Be wise with payments

Moreover, it’s easily tempting to use a credit card and pay in pesos when buying goods or shopping internationally. However, while that sounds convenient at first, you could incur additional fees without even realizing it.

Traditional cards charge up to 3% in foreign transaction fees. Plus, conversion rates always fluctuate. Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) fees when paying via merchants’ POS or withdrawing cash at foreign ATMs also hurt as they’re usually marked up.

Fortunately, the Wise multi-currency card lets users hold and spend in 40+ currencies at the mid-market exchange rate, minus hidden fees. It allows you to spend like a local and bypass foreign transaction fees.

For instance, a smartwatch priced at US$ 85 could cost you PhP 5,100 if you pay in pesos. But if you pay in USD using Wise’s mid-market rate, you’d spend only around PhP 5,004.8. This allows you to save roughly PhP 100 on a single purchase.

Multiply that across meals, shopping, transport, and other daily expenses and you could save thousands in a single holiday.

Tap to pay when abroad

Lastly, and as mentioned above, the Wise card can be added to your Google Wallet. This makes it seamless for travelers to pay abroad.

Not only can you pay in over 40 currencies at the real exchange rate without extra fees, but you don’t have to carry a physical card either. You just need an Android phone or smartwatch to pay.

To add a Wise card to Google Wallet and pay with Google Pay, customers can:

Open the Wise app
Tap the Card tab to view all available cards
Select their card to add, then tap “Add to Google Pay.”

Ready to travel smart this holiday season? Download Wise now and make your dream trip happen — without hidden costs.

Finance

Maya Savings, Personal Goals, more: How to make your bonus work for you

Tips from Maya

Published

December 7, 2025

GadgetMatch

All-in-one digital bank Maya is urging Filipinos to make their bonus work smarter, grow faster, and set them up strong for 2026.

As it is already the Christmas season, most Filipino professionals have just received or will be receiving their 13th month pay. But before that disappears into holiday hauls, Maya has tips so users be on top of their finances.

Give your extra money an assignment

Bonuses aren’t a windfall; it’s a strategy. Before anything else, Filipinos should give every peso a purpose.

A simple split could look like this:

50% bills and responsibilities
30% for fun
20% for savings and investments

For payments, it makes sense to use Maya. This holiday season, the banking app has a TWINYONARYOS promo wherein a user and a chosen referral can both win PhP 1 million each.

Park money for the future

Those who already have a Maya account can also take advantage of Maya Savings, where money can grow with up to 15% p.a. interest credited daily.

Then, build structure with Maya Personal Goals. Users can create five different goal accounts on the app, each earning 4% base interest. The rate also increases every PhP 20,000 added.

But for those who wants bonus to grow steadily and predictably, Time Deposit Plus comes in handy. Lock money for 3, 6, or 12 months with guaranteed rates of up to 6% p.a. on deposits up to PhP 1 million per TDP account.

Build a buffer for life’s curveballs

Lastly, users can boost their emergency fund using Maya Savings or set up a dedicated Personal Goal just for emergencies.

Maya Easy Credit also gives instant access to funds with no paperwork or collateral so you don’t have to touch your hard-earned savings when things get tough.

Apps

Turn your cravings into cashback with this new credit card

EastWest, Visa, and foodpanda created a lifestyle card that rewards your everyday life in the most delicious way!

Published

November 26, 2025

MJ Jucutan

There comes a moment in every busy, convenience-loving yuppie’s life when the heart encounters something that simply gets it.

For many, that moment will happen the first time they hear about the new EastWest foodpanda Visa Credit Card.

This cobranded creation from EastWest, foodpanda, and Visa feels like a treat wrapped inside another treat, made for those who thrive on ease, comfort, and a healthy dose of instant gratification.

Think of all the small joys in your routine. The iced latte that turns your morning around; the comforting order that saves an exhausting weekday; or the impulsive midnight craving that somehow counts as self-care.

Now imagine every craving quietly earning something meaningful in return. That is the lifestyle this card was built to support.

Cashback that keeps the cravings flowing

Cardholders receive 10 percent cashback on all foodpanda orders with earnings of up to Php 400 each month.

Cashback continues at 3 percent even after reaching the cap, which keeps rewards flowing for frequent orders.

Users also receive 1 percent cashback on overseas transactions and 0.3 percent on other local purchases. All cashback across categories has a combined limit of Php 1,000 per month.

The card is free of annual fees during the first year and early users receive a complimentary six month pandapro subscription.

Cashback is credited weekly to the user’s pandapay wallet for immediate access. This weekly reward cycle is a first in the local market. It reflects foodpanda’s focus on instant gratification and smooth digital experiences.

EastWest, foodpanda, and Visa aligned on a single goal. They wanted a card that fits into everyday routines, feels simple to use, and delivers rewards in a fast and friendly way.

Lifestyle card for a lifestyle-first way of spending

Younger Filipino consumers are embracing credit cards that care about their lifestyle choices.

The EastWest foodpanda Visa Credit Card fits right into this shift, giving people a financial tool that rewards the habits they already enjoy.

It creates a gentle nudge toward smarter spending without taking away the fun or the flavor.

Visa’s global network makes tap-to-pay transactions fast and secure. With automatic weekly cashback and worldwide acceptance, the card creates a rewarding experience that enhances how Filipinos dine and enjoy their favorite cravings.

This card understands one universal truth: Every order has the potential to be more than a meal. Now, it comes with rewards ready to follow you everywhere.

To learn more or start your application, visit eastwestbanker.com/foodpanda or tap ‘Apply Now’ on the foodpanda app.