Image source: Pixabay

Metaverse has become the hottest topic of 2022 but, before we go any further," What is metaverse?" you ask. Well, according to a definition in a recent article on my site, munKNEE.com, entitled What Is the Metaverse? How Is It Intended To Work?:

• The metaverse generally refers to the concept of a highly immersive virtual world, where users will be able to interact with other humans and objects in virtual worlds in a deeper, multi-sensory, richer way.
• It encompasses technologies like augmented reality, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, procedural image generation, cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) among a huge number of other developments.
• In layman’s terms, the metaverse is a virtual reality world where you can go to work, go to school, browse store shelves, play games, watch concerts, and many other things without leaving your (physical) home.

The munKNEE Metaverse Stocks Index tracks the stock performance of "the 10 best metaverse stocks to buy in 2022", according to the Elliott Wave Forecast. Here are their performances YTD, in descending order, and from their 52-wk highs. 

1. Microsoft Corp. (MSFT): -18.4% YTD; (-20.0% from its 52-wk high)
   • recently expanded its offering of gaming platforms via Activision Blizzard and its Mesh Platform is already a step ahead within the virtual world enabling shared experiences from anywhere through mixed reality applications.
2. Autodesk Inc. (ADSK): -24.8% YTD; (-38.2%)
   • offers a suite of technologies for rendering 3D animation, building and launching virtual buildings, and creating within virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) environments.
3. Take-Two Interactive (TTWO): -29.2% YTD; (-41.0%)
   • currently has the biggest and best metaverses that exist and is the #1 company generating revenue out of this new technology.
4. NVIDA Corp. (NVDA): -36.0% YTD; (-45.7%)
   • produces graphics and video processing chips for artificial intelligence and high-end computing and its products play an integral role in powering the metaverse.
5. Match Group Inc. (MTCH): -39.6% YTD; (-54.5%)
   • intends to expand its matchmaking efforts into the virtual realm by integrating avatar-based virtual experiences into its portfolio of mobile applications and to monetize its popular Tinder app through the app’s own virtual currency: Tinder Coins.
6. Meta Platforms Inc. (FB): -42.0% YTD; (-50.8%)
   • formerly known as Facebook, the company is investing billions to create software and content for augmented reality and VR applications, allowing it to address multiple metaverse angles.
7. Cloudflare Inc. (NET): -55.2% YTD; (-72.9%)
   • provides the underlying networking and data services required to make the metaverse a reality by using a software-defined networking (SDN) model that replaces networking hardware such as routers, switches, and load balancers with far cheaper and more scalable software.
8. Roblox Corp. (RBLX): -69.2% YTD; (76.4%)
   • intends to create a platform for immersive co-experiences, where people can come together within millions of 3D experiences to learn, work, play, create, and socialize by creating their own “worlds” where they can interact and play with others over the internet.
9. Unity Software Inc. (U): -70.9% YTD; (-79.3%)
   • is the leading platform for creating and operating interactive, real-time 3D content, a key component of the metaverse, which gives creators the power to build complex, data-oriented apps usings its Mixed and Augmented Reality Studio tool.
10. Matterport Inc. (MTTR): -72.5% YTD (-82.8%)
    • provides 3D cameras (which bring depth to an image), 360 cameras (which bring multiple angles), an app to capture these images on your smartphone, software that pulls this all together into one digital twin of the space, and applications to layer on AR features.

Despite all the excitement and hype about the metaverse, the stocks in the munKNEE Metaverse Stocks Index are -38.0%, on average, YTD, and -49.3% from their collective 52-week highs. For the record, the Index was only -2.3% during the past 4 weeks (i.e. since the end of April) ending May 27th, and were continuing their declines in early trading on May 31st.