The most famous was Gamestop, which made some people rich as it soared on little news. Other old meme stocks were AMC and Bed ...

Krispy Kreme, Opendoor, Rocket and Kohl’s are merely the public face of a summer boom in bets by private traders.

If you thought meme stocks had ridden off into the sunset, think again. Shares of companies such as Krispy Kreme and Kohl’s saw unusual surges starting in mid-July. The frenzy earned the “DORK” label ...