AMC Stock is Up +40% This Year: What it Means for Shorts

AMC Entertainment (NYSE:AMC) stock is up more than +40% this year-to-date.

New developments this year may send share prices rising throughout 2023.

Streaming giants have figured out that the theatrical experience is key to their long-term success.

AMC Entertainment CEO Adam Aron praised Disney for scheduling Stephen King’s ‘The Boogeyman’ to be released theatrically on June 2nd, 2023.

The film was originally planned to be released on the streaming service Hulu.

“Theatres beat streamers! We salute producer 21Laps and our friends at Disney for this decision. The Boogeyman, a Stephen King adaption, was made for Hulu. But it tested so well, Disney is releasing it theatrically instead. Thank you Bob Iger, Alan Bergman, Justin, Tony, and Ken,” said Adam Aron on Twitter.

On the other end, CNBC says Netflix left $200 million on the table for not leaving Daniel Craig’s ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ in theatres longer.

So, what does this say about the Wall Street short thesis that movie theatres are dead?

Here’s the latest AMC Entertainment stock market news.

Online Streaming Might Not Be What Wall Street Hoped For

In October, AMC announced its first ever Netflix showing in 200 theatres.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery starring Daniel Craig was released in the U.S. as well as the UK, Ireland, Italy, Germany, and Spain.

CEO Adam Aron stated on Twitter that success here could lead to more Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) movies at AMC.

The film earned $15 million at the box office but CNBC says the showing could have made $200 million if it had been kept in theatres longer.

The sequel to Johnson’s popular “Knives Out” opened in nearly 700 theaters, the largest release of any Netflix original film to date, 200 of which were AMC Entertainment theatres.

Unfortunately for the online streaming platform, hundreds of millions of dollars were left on the table.

Box office analysts say Glass Onion could have earned much higher earnings if Netflix had opted for a traditional wide release of 2,000 to 4,000 theaters.

What Are Experts Saying?

CNBC stated, “Netflix has backtracked on its previous policies, including by introducing an ad-supported subscription option, leading many to wonder whether the company should rethink its resistance to the traditional Hollywood movie release model as it looks for new ways to grow revenue. “

Related: AMC’s Cost to Borrow Has Hedge Funds Burning $20 Million Per Month

What Does This Mean for Short Sellers?

For short sellers betting against the movie theatre company, it could mean severe losses if share prices were to skyrocket again.

AMC Entertainment stock is still heavily shorted, currently weighing in at 21.92% short interest (updated daily).

All it takes is for a few short sellers to begin closing their positions for other short sellers to follow suit.

This chain reaction could trigger an AMC short squeeze in 2023.

Amazon insiders told Bloomberg the retail giant plans to invest billions in the movie theatre industry, aiming to release 12-15 movies annually for theatrical release.

That number of releases puts Amazon on par with major studios such as Paramount Pictures.

CNBC stated that ‘while a $1 billion annual investment for film development is on the lower end of what major Hollywood studios spend each year, it’s a positive sign for the movie theater business.”

Related: Will AMC Stock Keep Rising this Week? (Updates)

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