To The Moon

• Its recent gold mine investment isn't going to be a game-changer.

What happened

Investors initially cheered some news this morning from the gold miner AMC Entertainment Holdings invested in earlier this month. But it's been all downhill for AMC's stock the rest of the day so far. As of 12:48 p.m. ET Friday, AMC shares were down 7%.

So what

Besides the small bump after Hycroft Mining, which AMC recently invested in, provided investors its full-year 2021 update, AMC stock may also have been riding a wave of enthusiasm from retail investors who were cheering news of a planned stock split for fellow meme stock GameStop.

But, of course, that has nothing to do with AMC or its prospects, and investors also probably realized that the enthusiasm from the Hycroft Mining investment was overdone.

Now what

Two weeks ago, AMC announced it was investing $27.9 million in cash for a 22% stake in Hycroft Mining, which owns the more than 70,000-acre Hycroft Mine in northern Nevada. It was part of CEO Adam Aron's plan to use money AMC has raised to diversify and make acquisitions to aid its recovery from pandemic impacts.

Hycroft needed the capital infusion to continue to operate its gold and silver mine. Hycroft is a micro-cap company, and its shares have soared more than 50% since AMC's investment. Retail investors have pushed AMC stock up nearly 60% since that time.

Hycroft said today that its gold production for the full year 2021 was above its previous estimates while silver production fell short of guidance. The company also raised additional capital from the equity markets on top of the AMC investment.

News that the company will remain solvent and has additional funds at its disposal is good for its investors. But AMC's fortunes will not be determined by its relatively small investment in Hycroft. That dose of reality is likely why AMC shares subsequently dropped as the day's trading progressed.