Better Home Soars 176% as "Meme Stock Hunter" Returns With Same Playbook

TradingKey - Better Home & Finance (BETR.US) surged as much as 176% intraday on Monday, triggering multiple trading halts due to extreme volatility. The stock later pared gains but closed up 46.61% at $49.98, marking its highest close since August 2023. The rally was fueled by a series of bullish comments from Eric Jackson, founder of hedge fund EMJ Capital, on social media platform X.

Jackson compared the digital homeownership company to "Shopify for the mortgage industry," highlighting Better's use of AI to transform the $15 trillion mortgage sector. "This is about rebuilding a $15 trillion industry from scratch using AI," he stated in a post on X.

He drew parallels with Figure, a fintech firm focused on blockchain and AI to reshape financial services, particularly in mortgage and credit. Figure completed its IPO this year, drawing significant market interest. Jackson noted that Figure's stock trades at 19 times its projected 2026 sales, reflecting high investor optimism for high-growth AI-driven financial tech companies. However, he pointed out that Better trades at just 1x sales and is growing faster than Figure.

Jackson even predicted a potential 350% upside for Better Home within two years, citing AI's ability to scale loan origination while maintaining a lean workforce. He also disclosed that EMJ Capital holds a long position in Better, boosting investor confidence.

This mirrors Jackson's earlier play on Opendoor (OPEN.US), where his bullish comments ignited retail investor enthusiasm and drove a retail-led rally. Opendoor has since surged more than 420% year-to-date.