5 Reasons Citi Lifts 'Sell' Rating Off Snap's Stock
Citi's bearish stance on social media company Snap Inc (NYSE: SNAP) has come to an end after nearly a year.
The Analyst
Citi's Mark May upgraded Snap from Sell to Neutral with a price target lifted from $6 to $7.
The Thesis
Citi's "Sell" rating dates back to Feb. 20, 2018 but can no longer be justified for five reasons, May said in the note.
1. Snap's stock valuation implies a discount to rival social media companies at fourth times EV/2019 revenue versus Twitter Inc (NYSE: TWTR) at six times and Facebook, Inc. (NASDAQ: FB) at five times.
2. Expectations for an improved Android app could result in user and engagement growth.
3. Advertising average revenue per user accelerated in the third quarter, which is encouraging for 2019 if user and engagement growth accelerates as expected.
4. Management deserves credit for slowing down the pace of expense growth and could help the company hit a breakeven EBITDA milestone over the next year.
5. First-hand checks and conversations with advertisers and agencies reveal a "generally optimistic" attitude towards the social media platform after the company made it easier to distribute content and offered improved campaign analysis tools.
Price Action
Shares of Snap were trading higher by 1.5 percent at $6.38.
Related Links:
Analyst Sees Android Redesign As Catalyst For Snap To 'Regain Swagger'
Cramer Doesn't Like Snap — Even At
Latest Ratings for SNAP
Jan 2019 | Citigroup | Upgrades | Sell | Neutral |
Jan 2019 | Cowen & Co. | Upgrades | Underperform | Market Perform |
Jan 2019 | Pivotal Research | Downgrades | Buy | Hold |
View More Analyst Ratings for SNAP
View the Latest Analyst Ratings
See more from Benzinga
© 2019 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
