Reddit’s Newest Low-Priced AI Stock Is Fueling Extreme Trading Volumes

By Joel South Published Oct 9, 2:50PM EDT

Key Points

POET’s $75 million investment and volatile price swings spark Reddit’s bullish frenzy.
High FOMO and AI potential drive obsession, despite pre-revenue risks and uncertainty.

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Reddit’s Newest Low-Priced AI Stock Is Fueling Extreme Trading Volumes — © 24/7 Wall Street

POET Technologies (NASDAQ: POET), a silicon photonics innovator targeting AI data centers, has ignited a frenzy on Reddit, particularly among retail investors on subreddits like r/WallStreetBets and r/options.

The stock’s recent price swings, a massive $75 million investment, and overwhelming bullish sentiment are driving this obsession, making it the most talked-about stock on investment forums this week, but still an unlikely name among buy and hold investors.

The $75 Million SEC Filing Catalyst

The frenzy kicked off with POET’s October 7, 2025, SEC filing announcing a $75 million private placement from a single institutional investor—the largest in its history. This deal, issuing 13,636,364 common shares and warrants exercisable at C$9.78 until October 7, 2030, boosted POET’s cash reserves to over $150 million with no significant debt.

CEO Dr. Suresh Venkatesan highlighted plans to scale R&D, pursue acquisitions, and target AI connectivity markets, sparking optimism that has spilled onto Reddit.

Recent Price Swings Fuel the Hype

Since the SEC filing, POET has seen dramatic volatility, sparked by a 23% jump on Tuesday amid record trading volumes and then another double digit pop on Wednesday.

This rollercoaster has captivated retail traders, with options activity—especially calls—adding to the excitement. A r/options post detailed a trader’s regret after missing an October 31 $10 call at $0.55, only to chase at $1.39, resulting in a -33.52% loss, reflecting the stock’s rapid ups and downs.

According to 24/7 Wall Street’s analysis of Reddit shows over 4,500 upvotes on posts mentioning POET and over 1,600 comments directly mentioning POET. Of all the comments and posts, the sentiment is absolutely bullish with our proprietary score of 70.62. A score of 60 or higher indicates the majority of quality posts on Reddit about POET show a bullish outlook on the stock.

The FOMO Factor

The combination of price volatility, bullish sentiment (70.62 score), and the $75 million investment has created a perfect storm of FOMO (fear of missing out) on Reddit.

Traders are chasing gains, sharing strategies, and hyping POET’s AI infrastructure potential, despite its early-stage revenue (estimated at $553.3k for the current quarter) and not yet profitable. This speculative fervor mirrors past meme stock surges, drawing both momentum hunters and options traders alike. The company’s partnerships with Foxconn, Semtech, and Sivers Semiconductors add credibility, yet its pre-revenue status keeps it a high-risk play. With POET still trending, Reddit’s obsession with speculative, pre-revenue plays fueled by hype, daring financial moves, and AI-fueled ambition is charging ahead at full speed, potentially setting the stage for further volatility as traders weigh its long-term prospects.

About the Author Joel South →

Joel South covers large-cap stocks, dividend investing, and major market trends, with a focus on earnings analysis, valuation, and turning complex data into actionable insights for investors.

He brings more than 15 years of experience as an investor and financial journalist, including 12 years at The Motley Fool, where he served as an investment analyst, Bureau Chief, and later led the Fool.com investing news desk. He has also co-hosted an investing podcast and appeared across TV and radio discussing market trends.