Beyond Meat, Inc. (BYND) shares soared 5.28% in after-hours trading on Thursday, October 23, 2025, as the plant-based meat company announced expanded distribution and continued to attract attention from retail investors amid high short interest.

The surge comes on the heels of Beyond Meat's announcement that its latest iterations of the Beyond Burger and Beyond Beef products are now available at Erewhon locations. This expansion follows the company's recent move to increase distribution at over 2,000 Walmart stores in the United States, signaling potential growth in market reach.

Adding fuel to the stock's volatility, Ortex data revealed that short interest in Beyond Meat has surged past 100% of its publicly available shares, up from 81.8% on Wednesday. This high level of short interest, reminiscent of the GameStop saga in 2021, has caught the attention of retail investors and meme stock enthusiasts, potentially setting the stage for a short squeeze.

The after-hours rally marks a reversal from the stock's recent turbulence. Beyond Meat shares had experienced a meme stock-fueled surge earlier in the week, skyrocketing from around 50 cents to as high as $7.69, before retreating below $3. This volatility underscores the speculative nature of the stock's recent movements and the ongoing interest from retail traders.

As Beyond Meat continues to navigate a competitive plant-based meat market and work towards profitability, investors will be closely watching how these distribution expansions and potential short squeeze dynamics impact the company's stock performance in the coming days.