Well, folks, we’ve officially entered the timeline where presidential social media posts about jeans ads can move markets faster than quarterly earnings reports. Welcome to 2025, where Sydney Sweeney’s curves aren’t just breaking the internet—they’re breaking stock charts too.
Here’s what happened: American Eagle Outfitters (AEO) saw its stock rocket 24% on Monday after Donald Trump decided to weigh in on their controversial “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans” campaign. And by “weigh in,” I mean he basically became their unpaid hype man on Truth Social.
“The jeans are ‘flying off the shelves.’ Go get ’em Sydney!” Trump posted, probably while wearing his own pair of… well, let’s not think about that too hard.
The Meme Stock Evolution
This isn’t American Eagle’s first rodeo in meme stock territory. The retailer already caught fire last month when retail traders on Reddit discovered Sweeney’s ad campaign and decided to make it their personality. Because apparently, nothing says “sound investment strategy” like betting on celebrity endorsements and internet buzz.
But here’s the thing—it actually worked. At least temporarily. The stock had been struggling, down 23% year-to-date before this latest surge. Sometimes the market really is just vibes and chaos, and we’re all just along for the ride.
Trump’s Anti-Woke Stock Picks
Trump didn’t stop at praising American Eagle. He went full business pundit, calling out companies like Jaguar and Bud Light for their “woke” advertising campaigns that supposedly destroyed “BILLIONS OF DOLLARS” in market cap. (Yes, he used all caps. It’s Trump—did you expect lowercase?)
It’s fascinating watching a former president essentially become a day trader’s dream commentator. One Truth Social post and boom—instant market movement. Forget technical analysis; apparently, we just need to track presidential social media activity now.
The Bigger Picture
Look, American Eagle’s stock surge is fun to watch, but let’s be real about what’s happening here. We’re seeing the intersection of celebrity culture, political influence, and retail trading create these wild market moments that would have been unthinkable a decade ago.
The company’s “good jeans” campaign sparked controversy—some people claimed it promoted eugenics (seriously?), others said it was too sexual. But controversy, as any marketing exec will tell you, is just engagement with extra steps. And engagement, apparently, translates to stock gains.
What This Means for Investors
If you’re thinking about jumping on the American Eagle bandwagon, remember that meme stock rallies are like sugar highs—they feel great until they don’t. The stock already lost momentum after its July rally, and even with this latest Trump bump, it’s still down significantly for the year.
But here’s what’s genuinely interesting: we’re watching the democratization of market influence in real time. A celebrity ad campaign can spark retail interest, which can move stock prices, which can catch presidential attention, which can create even more movement. It’s like a feedback loop of modern capitalism.
The lesson? In today’s market, sometimes the best DD (due diligence) is just keeping an eye on what’s trending on social media. Because apparently, that’s where the real market makers are hanging out now.
Just remember: when the president of the United States is your stock’s biggest cheerleader, you might want to have an exit strategy ready. Because what goes up on a Truth Social post can come down just as fast on the next news cycle.