Traders return to GameStop plays as brokerages ease restrictions

Wall Street braced on Friday for the return of an army of amateur investors to trading in GameStop and other hot stocks whose surges this week and subsequent suspension have pitched the little guy against short-selling hedge funds.

Shares in GameStop, AMC Entertainment and BlackBerry plunged more than 40% on Thursday after several online platforms imposed buying halts, but rebounded in late trading as Robinhood and Interactive Brokers said they planned to ease the restrictions on Friday.

The showdown between individual investors and professional short-sellers has roiled global equity markets as funds were forced to sell some of their best-performing stocks, including Apple Inc, to cover billions of dollars of losses.