TLDR
- Beyond Meat stock surged nearly 600% over three trading sessions, reaching $3.62 after hitting an all-time low of 50 cents last week.
- The rally appears driven by a short squeeze and retail investor campaigns on social media, with the stock being added to the Roundhill Meme Stock ETF on Monday.
- Beyond Meat announced expanded distribution at 2,000 Walmart stores for its burger and chicken products on Tuesday.
- The company recently completed a debt swap deal that will issue up to 326 million shares to bondholders, diluting existing shareholders while reducing $800 million in debt.
- Second quarter sales dropped 19.6% to $75 million with an operating loss of $34.9 million, leading to layoffs of 6% of the workforce.
Beyond Meat stock closed Tuesday at $3.62, up 146% for the day. The surge capped off the best three-day performance in the company’s history.
Just last Thursday, shares hit an all-time low of 50 cents. The plant-based meat maker was staring down potential delisting from the Nasdaq.
The exchange requires stocks to maintain a minimum bid price of $1 for 30 consecutive days. Beyond Meat fell below that threshold on October 13 for the first time.
Less than a week later, the stock has mounted a comeback. Tuesday’s close marked a nearly 600% gain over three trading sessions.
Shares traded as high as $3.86 during Tuesday’s session. Premarket trading on Wednesday showed gains of up to 133%.
The company announced two pieces of news that appear to be fueling the rally. On Tuesday, Beyond Meat said its Beyond Burger 6-pack and Beyond Chicken Pieces will be available at 2,000 Walmart stores across the US.
On Monday, the stock was added to the Roundhill Meme Stock ETF. The inclusion brought Beyond Meat into the same category as GameStop and AMC Entertainment.
Retail Investors Drive the Rally
The recent surge appears to be the result of a short squeeze. This happens when the price of a heavily shorted stock rises suddenly, forcing short sellers to buy back shares to cover their positions.
Social media campaigns by retail investors played a role in the rally. One Reddit user posted on October 14 that it was time to “make $BYND great again” and asserted the stock “deserves a squeeze.”
Other users compared the momentum to the rise of GameStop and AMC in previous years. One post addressed the “retail army” and called Beyond Meat “a symbol of rebellion.”
Eric Jackson, known for his meme stock campaigns, posted on X that he was “getting flooded by people wanting me to take a position in BYND.” The post came on October 18 as enthusiasm mounted on social media platforms.
Beyond Meat’s ticker page has been among the most active on the Yahoo Finance platform during the rally. Community interest charts showed a spike in engagement.
Business Fundamentals Remain Weak
The stock rally comes at a difficult time for the company. Beyond Meat was once valued at $14 billion after its 2019 IPO.
Today the company is worth $1.4 billion. Second quarter sales dropped 19.6% from the prior year to $75 million.
Volume declines led the sales crash. The company faced weak demand at retail locations and soft demand at fast food restaurants.
Beyond Meat’s operating loss for the quarter totaled $34.9 million. The company responded by laying off 6% of its workforce.
This marked the third round of layoffs in recent years. The company had two rounds of cuts in 2024 due to poor results.
Last week, Beyond Meat announced a debt swap deal to reduce roughly $800 million in debt. The company will receive $202.5 million in debt due in 2030 in exchange for debt maturing in 2027.
The deal requires issuing up to 326 million shares to bondholders. This will dilute existing shareholders’ ownership stakes.
Jefferies analyst Kaumil Gajrawala said the company is “shrinking to survive.” He noted that stabilizing the portfolio and driving operating leverage are key to reaching positive EBITDA in the second half of 2026.
The analyst said innovation is shifting toward protein, fiber, and clean label offerings. Progress will be judged quarter by quarter, according to Gajrawala.
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