Shares of GameStop Corp (NYSE:GME) climbed during after-hours trading sessions on Wednesday following a notable announcement from the company’s CEO, Ryan Cohen, who continued his recent pattern of purchasing shares through open market transactions. This development has attracted investor attention, contributing to the upward trajectory of GameStop’s stock price.
On consecutive trading days, Cohen acquired a total of one million GameStop shares, with a filing submitted to the SEC confirming a purchase of 500,000 shares on Wednesday at a weighted average price of $21.60 per share. This follows a similar acquisition of 500,000 shares the previous day. Together, these transactions raised Cohen’s holdings to approximately 9.3% of the company, equating to around 42.08 million shares in total.
The CEO’s rationale for these acquisitions emphasizes the significance of executive ownership in publicly traded companies. The disclosure filed stated that Cohen regards open market purchases as essential for any CEO and considers the absence of such action grounds for dismissal. According to the filing, the alignment between executive interests and those of shareholders is reinforced when CEOs invest their personal funds in their companies.
These stock purchases are contemporaneous with a freshly announced compensation arrangement introduced earlier in January, designed to incentivize Cohen to advance GameStop’s growth milestones. The compensation plan links rewards to ambitious objectives: achieving a $100 billion market capitalization and reaching $10 billion in cumulative EBITDA.
Under this package, Cohen could be granted stock options enabling the acquisition of approximately 171.5 million GameStop shares at an exercise price of $20.66. The structure is aimed at motivating exceptional company performance and substantial shareholder value creation.
GameStop’s stock achieved a notable peak in 2021 amidst a historic short squeeze fueled by retail investors, including figures such as Keith Gill, also known under the moniker "Roaring Kitty". Observers note that Gill has abstained from social media posts for exactly one year as of January 22, 2026, with his last message featuring a contemplative moment of a dog outside a pizza shop, symbolizing anticipation without resolution.
The trading volume for GameStop shares on Wednesday was significantly elevated, with close to 8.2 million shares changing hands, which exceeds the typical average daily volume of approximately 6 million shares. This spike in trading activity closely followed Cohen’s disclosed share purchase on the same day, highlighting renewed investor interest.
From a technical analysis standpoint, GameStop’s stock is currently trading 5.7% above its 20-day simple moving average (SMA), illustrating short-term strength. However, it remains 2.4% below its 100-day SMA, suggesting the presence of longer-term resistance levels. The relative strength index (RSI) was registered at 46.61, a value that resides within neutral territory, while the moving average convergence divergence (MACD) indicator swept above its signal line, signifying a bullish trend. This combination implies a mixed momentum environment, reflecting the stock's current volatility.
According to the latest trade data available at the time of writing, GameStop shares were trading at approximately $22.34 in after-hours trading, marking an increase of around 3.02% attributable to market reactions to these disclosures.