Speculation is in, conservatism is out as retail investors bid up questionable assets and imaginative financing exploits the public mood. Buyers, beware.

Memesters took the likes of Kohl’s and Krispy Kreme on a wild ride.

Kohl’s Corp shares briefly doubled in value to a ten-month high of $21.23 on July 22, making it one of the most traded stocks on retail platforms. The chain became the latest “meme stock,” as the surge in trading was driven by online discussions on platforms like Reddit’s WallStreetBets.