GameStop Dynamics 'Not The Same' As 2021, Says Andrew Left: 'Roaring Kitty Premise Is Gone'

Andrew Left of Citron Research weighed in on the latest price dynamics of GameStop Corp
on Friday, expressing skepticism about the stock and its prominent market influencer Keith Gill, aka Roaring Kitty.

Left, who faced significant losses during the 2021 short squeeze, discussed his current, more cautious approach and raised concerns about the role of notable figures like Roaring Kitty in the market.

Speaking on CNBC at the same time as Gill’s first YouTube livestream since 2021, Left said that despite the challenges he faced, including harassment from an “angry mob,” he decided to short GameStop again.

“I mean, after my first marriage, I said I’ll never do that again. And certainly, I’m happy with the second. So sometimes you go back in. At the time, there was a situation, it wasn’t a big trade. It’s still not a big trade. It’s not a big position.

“I think the dynamic is different this time than it was back in 2021. So, you know, it was a decent trade,” Left added.

Left’s perspective on GameStop reflects a more measured approach, he said. “I think traders have evolved over the past three years where they were and understand short selling and understand market dynamics. So I believe it’s different this time all around and I’m getting feedback from that,” he told CNBC.

“A lot of the luster is off, the Roaring Kitty premise is gone,” Left added.

He elaborated on the state of GameStop, saying, “As we know, the GameStop story is essentially zero now. The company’s, you know, going to be the value of its cash or even more than the cash on the hope of Ryan Cohen. That’s all played out, and I think it’ll play out in the markets.

“For me, it’s a small position. If the stock went to $100 today, I’ll still have a nice weekend with my family and that’s it. This is not the same as it was in 2021.”

Left also addressed the dynamics surrounding Roaring Kitty, a key figure during the original short squeeze. He questioned the legitimacy of the large sums reportedly amassed, stating, “If he made, let’s say, $40-$50 million on the original GameStop, which people thought, and then you pay half to the government, you pay 40% to the government. Then he just puts a position on that’s $200 million. Where did he make the rest?

“If, in fact, he made himself $300-$400 million over the past three years, being long NVIDIA, I think he would have told someone, or I think he would have kept his mouth shut. To me, it just seems awkward,” Left said.