<p>US securities regulators studying the mysterious surge in GameStop shares in January called Monday for deeper examination of "game-like" features on some trading platforms.</p>.<p>A Securities and Exchange Commission report examining volatility in GameStop and other so-called "meme" stocks, said the wild market moves last winter highlighted the need for "potential study and further consideration" of ways to ensure "fair, order and efficient" markets.</p>.<p>"Consideration should be given to whether game-like features and celebratory animations that are likely intended to create positive feedback from trading lead investors to trade more than they would otherwise," said the 45-page SEC report, which stopped short of recommendations.</p>.<p>The report comes on the heels of earlier comments from SEC Chair Gary Gensler, who has previously criticized "gamification" on the online platform Robinhood, which is popular with younger investors.</p>.<p>Robinhood has been credited with introducing a generation of new individual investors to the stock market, but the platform is also known for features that critics say can make it addictive.</p>.<p>The SEC report describes GameStop's torrid rise of a little under $20 a barrel at the end of 2020 to a high of $483 on January 12 amid frenzied trading.</p>.<p>The surge was seen in some financial media as driven at least in part by a desire of retail investors communicating on the Reddit platform collaborating in an effort to retaliate against short sellers.</p>.<p>Seasoned investors viewed GameStop's movements as divorced from fundamental questions about the company's financial performance and its prospects.</p>.<p>The SEC report did not draw conclusions on the root cause of GameStop's volatility, saying, "Whether driven by a desire to squeeze short sellers and thus profit from the resultant rise in price, or by belief in the fundamentals of GameStop, it was the positive sentiment, not the buying-to-cover that sustained the weeks-long price appreciation of GameStop stock."</p>.<p><strong>Check out DH's latest videos:</strong></p>
<p>US securities regulators studying the mysterious surge in GameStop shares in January called Monday for deeper examination of "game-like" features on some trading platforms.</p>.<p>A Securities and Exchange Commission report examining volatility in GameStop and other so-called "meme" stocks, said the wild market moves last winter highlighted the need for "potential study and further consideration" of ways to ensure "fair, order and efficient" markets.</p>.<p>"Consideration should be given to whether game-like features and celebratory animations that are likely intended to create positive feedback from trading lead investors to trade more than they would otherwise," said the 45-page SEC report, which stopped short of recommendations.</p>.<p>The report comes on the heels of earlier comments from SEC Chair Gary Gensler, who has previously criticized "gamification" on the online platform Robinhood, which is popular with younger investors.</p>.<p>Robinhood has been credited with introducing a generation of new individual investors to the stock market, but the platform is also known for features that critics say can make it addictive.</p>.<p>The SEC report describes GameStop's torrid rise of a little under $20 a barrel at the end of 2020 to a high of $483 on January 12 amid frenzied trading.</p>.<p>The surge was seen in some financial media as driven at least in part by a desire of retail investors communicating on the Reddit platform collaborating in an effort to retaliate against short sellers.</p>.<p>Seasoned investors viewed GameStop's movements as divorced from fundamental questions about the company's financial performance and its prospects.</p>.<p>The SEC report did not draw conclusions on the root cause of GameStop's volatility, saying, "Whether driven by a desire to squeeze short sellers and thus profit from the resultant rise in price, or by belief in the fundamentals of GameStop, it was the positive sentiment, not the buying-to-cover that sustained the weeks-long price appreciation of GameStop stock."</p>.<p><strong>Check out DH's latest videos:</strong></p>