GoPro Stock Soars After Markiplier Buys 8.5% Stake

GoPro shares surged as much as 80% intraday Tuesday, extending a rally that had already delivered a combined 128% gain during Monday's regular and after-hours sessions, after YouTuber Mark Fischbach, known as Markiplier, disclosed an 8.5% ownership stake in the struggling camera maker.

Fischbach, who has about 40 million YouTube subscribers, reported the roughly $9.3 million position through a Schedule 13G filing dated Aug. 20, making him GoPro's largest individual shareholder. He said he considers the stock undervalued and wants to see the company succeed, but is not taking an activist stance and is not seeking a board seat.

His renewed interest follows GoPro's launch of the Mission 1 Pro ILS, its first interchangeable-lens cinema camera, which reached retail shelves this summer and is due for a wider global release on Sept. 2. Roughly 16.5% of GoPro's float was sold short heading into the rally, fueling short-squeeze dynamics as buyers piled in.

The rally came despite a broader market pullback, with the Nasdaq, S&P 500 and Dow all falling Tuesday, underscoring that GoPro's move was company-specific. Analysts remain skeptical of the underlying business: GoPro disclosed going-concern doubts and reported second-quarter revenue down 31.3% year over year, and Wall Street's average price target sits near $0.50, well below the stock's post-rally level. This is not investment advice.