TWTR - Twitter, Inc.
| Previous Close | 32.57 |
| Open | 32.31 |
| Bid | 32.35 x 1800 |
| Ask | 32.36 x 1800 |
| Day's Range | 32.03 - 32.56 |
| 52 Week Range | 26.19 - 47.79 |
| Volume | 5,274,175 |
| Avg. Volume | 19,591,511 |
| Market Cap | 24.757B |
| Beta (3Y Monthly) | -0.33 |
| PE Ratio (TTM) | 20.76 |
| EPS (TTM) | 1.56 |
| Earnings Date | Apr 23, 2019 |
| Forward Dividend & Yield | N/A (N/A) |
| Ex-Dividend Date | N/A |
| 1y Target Est | 33.62 |
- Benzinga•4 hours ago
This Day In Market History: Jack Dorsey Sends The First Tweet
Each day, Benzinga takes a look back at a notable market-related moment that occurred on this date. What Happened? The Dow finished the day at 11,235.47. Today, the Dow is trading at 24,610.91 and the S&P 500 is trading at 2,712.92. What Else Was Going On In The World?
- InvestorPlace•6 hours ago
Snap Stock Will Make a Strong Recovery Sooner Than You Think
Investors in social media stocks are shifting their positions in a way that seemed unlikely just six months ago: They're buying up Snap Inc (NYSE:SNAP) stock and selling Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) and Twitter (NYSE:TWTR) shares.Source: Shutterstock Even as Facebook trades at a substantially better price-to-earnings ratio than Snap stock, SNAP earned some respect from the markets.In its fourth-quarter earnings report posted last month, Snap reported better user activity numbers. If the chat app is returning to growth, markets must bid its shares higher.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips SNAP Stock: Smaller Losses in Q4Snap reported Q4 numbers on Feb. 5 that triggered a rally in its shares. Revenue rose to a record $390 million, up 36% from last year. Its loss shrunk to $195 million. Meanwhile, its EBITDA loss was just $50 million, with the sharp improvement suggesting the company will soon swing to a profit. Odds are on the high side that profits will come as early as sometime this year. In addition to the more positive earnings report, Snap released a new version of its Android application to a small percentage of its community.On the Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) side, DAU (daily active users) did not grow from last year's levels, stuck at 186 million; however, iOS DAU numbers did grow, plus average time spent grew.It's also important to consider that iOS revenue generation from users is typically higher than that of the Android user base. The combination of higher usage on iOS and a refresh on Android could lead to an even bigger reach for Snap Inc in the U.S. The company reached over 70% of Americans aged 13 to 34 years old with premium mobile video ads on a monthly basis.Another impressive figure is that 70% of its audience use or view Lenses daily. The 700 million times that Lenses was used on New Year's Eve is an impressive achievement for Snap. Seasonally, investors might anticipate such activity falling until the next holiday season which is another three quarters away. Product InnovationSnap's Android application update will cut the time it takes to open the app by 20%. Even after strong Lenses usage, Snap expanded its AR platform through Snap Camera. People may use Lenses on their phone to stream or create the video on desktop or laptop computers. The strong uptake of 300,000 Lenses created in 2018 gives the company a fresh source of content. These videos already brought in 35 billion views. Investors should confidently expect this user activity growing in 2019. Expect Solid Ad RevenueThe days of ad-free videos on Alphabet's (NASDAQ:GOOG, NASDAQ:GOOGL) YouTube are long gone. But this familiarity with ads has allowed Snap to introduce commercials that are six seconds and cannot be skipped. Through its Premium Content Targeting tool, Snap empowers advertisers to easily buy ad space on the app.Yet another strong number is the Snap Pixel that brought in 600 million purchase events in Q4, more than double from the previous quarter. Bottom Line on SNAP StockSnap's revenue forecast of $285 million - $310 million, up 24%-34% from last year, should give short-sellers a scare. Short float is 12.7%, but SNAP bears could keep getting squeezed as the company heads toward profitability. Adjusted EBITDA will be as high as a loss of $140 million, compared to a loss of $218 million in Q1/2018.Another recent bullish perk is that BTIG, which has never ranked SNAP stock with a BUY rating, changed its stance last week. With a 50% success rate on the stock and an average profit of ~22% on the stock, analyst Richard Greenfield believes SNAP is undervalued by 37%. Even at $15 a share, the stock would return to prices not seen since April 2018. To get back to that level, Snap will need to get back users who left for Facebook's (NASDAQ: FB) Instagram.In the future, advertisers, who now have a self-service infrastructure on its advertising platform to work in, may continue to allocate more of their budget on Snap over Facebook. As Facebook consolidates its platforms -- Facebook, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram -- and tightens down on security/privacy, companies may post more ads on Snap this year.Ultimately, the short-squeeze on SNAP stock could come to an end after the stock rose from $4.82 at the start of the year to a close at $11 recently. Another strong quarterly report (due in May 2019) would re-establish confidence in Snap's growth prospects. From there, SNAP stock could trade back at the $13 - $15 level.As of this writing, Chris Lau did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 7 Invincible Stocks Leading The Bull Market Higher * 5 Dow Jones Stocks Coming to Life * 7 of the Best High-Yield Funds for 2019 and Beyond Compare Brokers The post Snap Stock Will Make a Strong Recovery Sooner Than You Think appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- TheStreet.com•15 hours ago
Fed Stops the Rate Madness: Cramer's 'Mad Money' Recap (Wednesday 3/20/19)
Today was shaping up to be a bone-crushing session on Wall Street, Jim Cramer told his Mad Money viewers Wednesday. Without one, it will be a lot harder to own sectors like the industrials that need a strong global economy. Cramer explained that President Trump is taking a page from the Ronald Reagan playbook with Russia, "trust, but verify." The Chinese have a long history of not abiding by what they agree to, he said, which was evident most recently in the South China Sea.
- Zacks•16 hours ago
4 Stocks in Focus on World's Most Expensive Election
Apart from the political implications of this election, the most important fact is that this event is likely to become the most-expensive election worldwide.
- Bloomberg•23 hours ago
Houston Tanks That Escaped 3 1/2-Day Blaze May Be Demolished
Just hours after firefighting crews extinguished the 3 1/2-day blaze, Intercontinental Terminals Co. said some of the tanks at its Deer Park, Texas, complex that escaped the flames probably suffered heat damage and might be demolished. Intercontinental is owned by Japan’s Mitsui & Co.
- Motley Fool•yesterday
Stock Market News: Starbucks Heats Up; Twitter Climbs Despite Lawsuits
The overall market gave up ground Wednesday morning.
- Bloomberg•yesterday
EU Renews Calls to Facebook, Twitter to Fight Fake News
The European Commission requires “more systematic information” from platforms to check the placement of advertisements and “to better understand the effectiveness of the actions taken against bots and fake accounts,” it said in a statement on Wednesday. “We encourage online platforms to work with researchers and fact-checkers on access to live information on public pages, streams and other services, as well as on data on inauthentic accounts they have identified and removed,” EU Commissioners Julian King, Vera Jourova, Mariya Gabriel, and Andrus Ansip said in a joint statement. Twitter, along with Facebook and Alphabet Inc.’s Google, signed a code of conduct in September pledging to fight disinformation online in Europe.
- The Wall Street Journal•2 days ago
[$$] House Seeks Answers From Tech CEOs Over Shooting Video
WASHINGTON—The head of the House Homeland Security Committee asked four technology companies to attend a closed-door briefing next week on their efforts to prevent violent videos from being disseminated in the wake of last week’s mass shooting in New Zealand. Representatives for Microsoft and Facebook said the companies planned to brief the committee as requested but didn’t commit to which executives they would send.
Associated Press•2 days agoTrump: Social media sites discriminate against conservatives
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump directed his ire Tuesday at the nation's major social media companies, claiming they're biased against Republicans and attacking them with the same gusto he uses for much of the rest of the media world.
- InvestorPlace•2 days ago
Why Marijuana REITs Are One of the Best Investments Today
Legal marijuana is on the brink of explosive growth. But there are two key hurdles to overcome… and marijuana REITs like Innovative Industrial Properties (NYSE:IIPR) are solving them both.For growers, it's not easy to produce high-grade marijuana. Nor is it cheap -- and getting that funding is tricky. Until the U.S. government removes marijuana from its list of Schedule I drugs -- the ones considered most dangerous, like heroin -- most banks want no part of it. (No matter how bright the future looks.)For investors, the options have been limited, as that Schedule I label prohibits most U.S. companies from listing on the NYSE or NASDAQ.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsNotice I said "most."IIPR stock is one of the few. Why can it list on those major stock exchanges? Because it never actually touches the plant. This is one of the smartest ways to invest in the exploding marijuana industry while it is still technically illegal federally. * Top 7 Service Sector Stocks That Will Pay You to Own Them Like all marijuana REITs, Innovative Industrial Properties simply plays landlord to the growers. Here's how it works: IIPR buys freestanding properties from medical marijuana growers licensed by their respective states. It then leases the properties back to the growers. This gives those growers an infusion of capital to expand their operations and increase production. In return, the REIT receives regular rent payments under a long-term lease.Pretty slick, huh? Wall Street is certainly taking notice:Institutional investors now hold 59% of IIPR stock. Big players like Vanguard, Blackrock, and Wellington were largely the ones to cash in when shares hit a new 52-week high on the company's March earnings report.But marijuana REITs are also popular among investors like you and me -- because of their unique business model, as well as their dividends.Take a look at Innovative Industrial Properties' earnings and you'll see its rental income is growing exponentially. Then, because of the REIT structure, at least 90% of that gets passed along to shareholders. Innovative Industrial Properties paid a $0.35 dividend in Q4 -- 40% higher than the previous year -- and it's already announced another dividend hike in Q1, to $0.45. That makes for a nice forward yield of over 2%. (This is even after the price of the stock nearly doubled since December.)IIPR is a great stock, and now everybody is finding that out.But I like to invest way BEFORE everyone jumps on board. Getting in before the crowd is how you make the big money. And that stock is up over 160% since I recommended it to my Investment Opportunities readers last August.Back in college, I bought a brand-new apparel stock called True Religion for $0.20 -- then it popped up above $20.That's actually what set me on my journey to New York City… my career with Charles Schwab, then my own firm, Penn Financial Group… and nowadays my newsletters, including Investment Opportunities.I got people into Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ:ISRG) at $10. Now it's over $550. We saw GrubHub (NYSE:GRUB) go from $35 to $140.I like to wait a couple of months after the IPO before investing, to avoid early volatility. That's what I advised for Facebook (NASDAQ:FB), which did in fact make an early stumble before it went into the stratosphere. (I'm still waiting for Twitter (NYSE:TWTR) to "show us the money.")And now, I've got my eye on a company called Treehouse. The Next IIPR?Treehouse is one of the marijuana REITs I think you should put on your radar. It's an up-and-comer, and this one focuses on retail, in addition to cultivation facilities.On Monday, Treehouse announced that it had raised $45.5 million in a private deal. (And that was from a "federally-insured commercial bank" -- a great example of how marijuana REITs can break that funding barrier.) That's after the REIT raised $133 million in its spinoff from MedMen Enterprises (OTCMKTS:MMNFF) in January.Treehouse is looking to expand its lineup of cannabis retail and industrial facilities…… and I also think it's headed toward an IPO.That's right. Treehouse is still privately held, but maybe not for long.Large amounts of private fundraising tend to indicate a company is building toward its "exit" in the form of a public offering. One study from PitchBook found that venture capital-backed companies were raising an average of $108 million before an IPO.If the rumors start flying and you hear about Treehouse on TV, well… you heard it here first. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on this REIT -- and so should you.Now, don't get me wrong:If Treehouse goes public, it wouldn't necessarily be an automatic buy. There's some homework to do first: make sure the fundamentals back up the hype. And the timing has to be right.That's all part of my Cannabis Cash Calendar system, which I designed specifically for marijuana IPOs. The early results are impressive, if I do say so myself, including an 80% gainer in less than four months.I already have the date circled for my next recommendation -- just two weeks away, on April 4.You can get exclusive access to it as soon as it's released to my Investment Opportunities readers. Click here to learn more about this opportunity and how to get on the list to be notified.Even if you don't know a thing about the marijuana markets… even if you've never bought a stock before. You could take just a small stake, and potentially multiply that over the next 12 months. Click here for more on this incredible trend.Matthew McCall is the founder and president of Penn Financial Group, an investment advisory firm, as well as the editor of Investment Opportunities and Early Stage Investor. He has dedicated his career to getting investors into the world's biggest, most revolutionary trends BEFORE anyone else. The power of being "first" gave Matt's readers the chance to bank +2,438% in Stamps.com (STMP), +1,523% in Ulta Beauty (ULTA), +1,044% in Tesla (TSLA), +611% in Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (LNGLY), +324% in Bitcoin Services (BTSC), just to name a few. If you're interested in making triple-digit gains from the world's biggest investment trends BEFORE anyone else, click here to learn more about Matt McCall and his investments strategy today. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 7 Financial Stocks to Invest In Today * 7 Single-Digit P/E Stocks With Massive Upside * 5 Chip Stocks on the Rise Compare Brokers The post Why Marijuana REITs Are One of the Best Investments Today appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- CNBC•2 days ago
Congressman calls on tech CEOs to explain the spread of the mosque shooting video on their platforms
House Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson wrote to the CEOs of Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Microsoft requesting a briefing.
- Barrons.com•2 days ago
Devin Nunes’ Lawsuit Against Twitter Faces Steep Hurdles, Lawyers Say
The GOP congressman, who accuses the microblogging service of defamation, is seeking $250 million in damages.
- Investopedia•2 days ago
Twitter vs. Facebook vs. Instagram: What's the Difference?
Learn why Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram each appeal to different target markets of users of social networks worldwide.
- Market Realist•2 days ago
Why Trump Thinks Facebook, Google, and Twitter Are Against Him
Why Trump Thinks Facebook, Google, and Twitter Are Against HimTrump versus the mediaThis morning in a tweet, President Donald Trump continued his fight with the media, branding it “the Corrupt Media.” This time he also attacked US tech giants
Market Realist•2 days agoFacebook Stock Hit by Analyst’s Downgrade
Facebook Stock Hit by Analyst's DowngradeFacebook’s stock movementFacebook (FB) stock fell 3.3% yesterday after Needham analyst Laura Martin downgraded the stock due to various issues, including executive departures, privacy, and regulatory
- InvestorPlace•2 days ago
Tesla Price Hike Delayed … for One Day
Tesla price hike delayed news is good for anyone still wanting to pick up one of the electric vehicles.Source: Shutterstock The announcement about the Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) price hike being delayed comes directly from the company itself. It says that there were an unusually high number of orders on Monday night that it was unable to process.The Tesla price hike delayed news means that customers wills till be able to order one of the electric vehicles before prices increase. However, the extension on the current prices won't be lasting much longer.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsAccording to Tesla, it plans to no introduce the higher prices for its vehicles starting at midnight on Wednesday. That gives customers just one more chance to get the electric vehicles cheaper before the price hike goes into effect. * Top 7 Service Sector Stocks That Will Pay You to Own Them Here's the official Tweet from the company concerning the Tesla price hike delayed news."Due to unusually high volume, Tesla was unable to process all orders by midnight on Monday, so the slight price rise on vehicles is postponed to midnight Wednesday"The following are some comments from Twitter (NYSE:TWTR) users about the delay. * "But I thought demand was dwindling? That's what the bashing shorts were saying…" * "I consider this a good problem." * "I would call this a penny stock tactic but I've seen a lot more class from penny stocks."TSLA stock was up slightly as of Tuesday afternoon. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 7 Financial Stocks to Invest In Today * 7 Single-Digit P/E Stocks With Massive Upside * 5 Chip Stocks on the Rise As of this writing, William White did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.Compare Brokers The post Tesla Price Hike Delayed … for One Day appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- Reuters•2 days ago
Trump renews attack alleging social media's political bias
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday accused social media platforms Facebook, YouTube and Twitter of favoring his Democratic opponents over him and his fellow Republicans. "But fear not, we will win anyway, just like we did before! #MAGA," he said in a tweet. Facebook Inc and Twitter Inc declined to comment.
- InvestorPlace•2 days ago
Here’s Why Chipotle Stock Will Plummet on Any Negative Headline
Make no mistake about it. Chipotle (NYSE:CMG) is finally back. The E. coli outbreak which hit the chain hard in 2015 is now in the rear-view mirror. The company is using new marketing, menu innovations and an expanded digital presence to drive a long overdue recovery in traffic, sales and margins. In response, CMG stock has rallied from $250 in February 2018, to $660 a little over a year later.Source: Shutterstock Some bulls think this monster rally will continue. Piper Jaffray recently lifted its price target on CMG stock to $725, citing international expansion potential as a reason to buy Chipotle stock. But fundamentals say that this big Chipotle stock rally is on its last legs. To be sure, the fundamentals at Chipotle are improving. Unique marketing campaigns, healthy food menu innovations, and digital business expansions are driving robust and sustainable comparable sales and traffic growth. That's pushing margins higher. Plus, the company still has a ton of runway left on the unit expansion front (only 2,500 stores).But all of those positives are already priced into CMG stock. This is a $650 stock with a fiscal 2019 earnings estimate of $12.30 per share. That means Chipotle stock is trading at over 50x forward earnings. The average forward multiple in the restaurant sector is under 25. Thus, CMG stock is trading at more than double the valuation of its peers.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsEven for a company with as big of growth potential as Chipotle, that relative valuation gap is just too large. It will eventually narrow, and in a big way, meaning that Chipotle stock is due for a sizable correction in the near future. The Fundamentals Are ImprovingThe Chipotle turnaround is very real and very impressive.Long story short, Chipotle brought in new CEO Brian Niccol about a year ago, and he's done nothing short of a spectacular job turning around what was a sinking ship. Before Niccol, Chipotle was a company struggling with its brand image, which had no real growth drivers in the aftermath of a crippling late 2015 E. coli outbreak.Since Niccol took over, all that has changed. Chipotle has re-branded itself as a healthy QSR chain with real ingredients through its new 'For Real' marketing campaign. To coincide with that marketing campaign, Chipotle has also expanded its menu to include things like lifestyle bowls, which cater to the ingredient-sensitive consumer. Meanwhile, Chipotle has also significantly expanded its presence on digital food-ordering apps.These three initiatives have worked wonders for Chipotle. Traffic growth has turned healthily positive for the first time since late 2015. Comparable sales growth is running around 10%-plus. Digital sales growth was above 65% last quarter. Restaurant level operating margins are moving consistently higher.In other words, the Chipotle turnaround is here. It won't end any time soon. As such, the fundamentals underlying CMG stock project to remain favorable for a lot longer. The Valuation Makes No SenseAt current levels, favorable long-term growth fundamentals won't cut it for CMG stock. It's already priced for favorable long-term growth, and then some.This is a restaurant stock trading at over 50x forward earnings. The whole market trades at 16x forward earnings. Restaurant stocks trade at 23x forward earnings. High growth application software stocks trade at 35 forward earnings. Indeed, on a forward earnings basis, CMG stock is more expensive than Facebook (NASDAQ:FB), Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG), Twitter (NYSE:TWTR), Adobe (NASDAQ:ADBE), Alibaba (NYSE:BABA), and Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ:ISRG), all 20%-plus revenue-growth tech companies with sky high margins and big moats. It's also nearly as expensive as Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) and Salesforce (NYSE:CRM), two huge revenue-growth companies with tremendous margin expansion potential.That doesn't make much sense to me. Again, CMG is a restaurant stock. With a sub-10% revenue growth rate. In a competitive fast casual restaurant industry. And margins that, while heading higher, don't have that much more room to expand.Here's my math on Chipotle stock. Mid-single-digit comparable sales growth will likely slow going forward as the lap gets tougher. But comps will remain in the low single-digit range thanks to menu innovations and digital business expansion. Sustained mid-single-digit unit growth should drive high-single-digit revenue growth. Restaurant level margins should continue to rise, but flatten out short of their mid-2010's highs due to higher labor costs. G&A and D&A expense rates should fall with scale.Putting all together, I optimistically see Chipotle as a 20% earnings grower over the next several years, with potential to hit $35 in EPS by fiscal 2025. Based on a slightly above restaurant-average 25x forward multiple, that equates to a fiscal 2024 price target for CMG stock of $875. Discounted back by 10% per year, that equates to fiscal 2019 price target below $550.Chipotle stock trades above $650 today. As such, this stock is simply overvalued at the present moment. * Top 7 Service Sector Stocks That Will Pay You to Own Them Bottom Line on CMG StockThe Chipotle turnaround is here, and it's not going anywhere anytime soon. But CMG stock has already had its big run-up in anticipation of this recovery. At current levels, the stock is overvalued. As such, the next time this company fumbles, the stock could drop in a big way, and in the restaurant industry, fumbles happen all the time.As of this writing, Luke Lango was long FB, GOOG, TWTR, ADBE, AMZN, and CRM. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 7 Financial Stocks to Invest In Today * 7 Single-Digit P/E Stocks With Massive Upside * 5 Chip Stocks on the Rise Compare Brokers The post Here's Why Chipotle Stock Will Plummet on Any Negative Headline appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- CNBC•2 days ago
Trump hits Big Tech for siding with Dems, while spending more on social ads than any other candidate so far
It's a familiar tune for the Republican president, whose administration is preparing antitrust action against Silicon Valley giants. Trump far outspends his fellow 2020 candidates in social ads, according to a tracker maintained by communications agency Bully Pulpit Interactive. Trump's dig at Facebook, Google and Twitter follows a lawsuit by Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., that alleges Twitter allowed defamatory posts about him on the platform as part of a political agenda.
- Bloomberg•2 days ago
Anonymous Twitter Account Surges in Followers After Devin Nunes Lawsuit
The move had an immediate effect: One of the accounts gained more than 60,000 followers. The complaint claims a Republican political strategist named Liz Mair fueled a campaign targeting Nunes as well as two anonymous accounts, @DevinNunesMom, which has now been suspended, and @DevinCow. Nunes also alleges Twitter “shadow banned” him in 2018 “in order to restrict his free speech.” People claiming to have been shadow banned say they can see their own tweets but that they aren’t visible to their followers.
- The Independent•2 days ago
Devin Nunes: Republican congressman sues Twitter for $250m over parody account of his mother
Devin Nunes has sued Twitter and several of its users, among them a parody account of his mother and a cow. The Republican congressman is seeking $250m (£188m) in damages for “abusive, hateful and defamatory” content allegedly hosted on Twitter, which the suit claims was intended to interfere with the investigation into Russian involvement in the 2016 Presidential election. The complaint, filed in a Virginia state court on Monday, refers specifically to the accounts “Devin Nunes’ Mom” (@DevinNunesMom) and “Devin Nunes’ cow” (@DevinCow), as well as Republican communications consultant and critic of Mr Nunes, Liz Mair.
- InvestorPlace•2 days ago
This Snap Stock Rally Looks like It’s on Its Last Legs
Following a rough late 2018 sell-off, stocks have bounced back strongly in early 2019. Year-to-date, all three major indices are up more than 10%, led by a 16% gain for the Nasdaq. Few stocks, though, have done as well as Snap (NYSE:SNAP) in 2019. SNAP stock was left for dead in late 2018 amid slowing user growth and profitability concerns. Those concerns quickly turned a corner in 2019, and SNAP subsequently has risen more than 100%.Source: Shutterstock You read that right. SNAP has more than doubled this year. It's only March. For emphasis purposes, that means SNAP stock has more than doubled its value in two and a half months.This rally is not sustainable. To be sure, the fundamentals are quickly improving. The user base is finally stabilizing, and potential for growth in coming years is promising. Revenue trends are strong. Gross margins are marching higher. Opex rates are rapidly falling. Profitability is a real possibility within the next few years.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips * 7 Small-Cap Stocks That Make the Grade But, after a 100% YTD rally, SNAP stock is already fully priced for all those positive developments. Up at $11, the stock is trading at what my numbers suggest is a reasonable price target for this stock by the end of the year. We are only two and half months into the year.As such, I don't expect much more upside out of SNAP stock in the foreseeable future. The stock has already made its big 2019 turnaround, now comes the choppy part. Fundamentals ImprovingThe massive 2019 rally in SNAP stock really picked up steam following the company's fourth quarter earnings report, which broadly confirmed that the fundamentals underlying this stock are dramatically improving.Most important, the user base stabilized in the fourth quarter, following two consecutive quarters of declines. That put to bed concerns that Instagram is eating Snapchat's entire pie. It also largely confirmed that despite intense competition, Snap has staying power in today's social media landscape.On top of user base stabilization, unit revenue trends improved in the fourth quarter. ARPU, or average revenue per user, rose 37% in the fourth quarter, matching the best ARPU growth rate Snap reported through all of 2018.ARPU growth acceleration implies that advertisers are increasingly flocking to the platform, and not just for the cheap ads, giving credence to the thesis that Snap as an advertising platform has large growth potential.Meanwhile, margins improved in a big way during the fourth quarter. Gross margins improved by 12 points year-over-year. The opex rate shrunk an eye-popping 30 points year-over-year. Net loss narrowed to under $100 million for the first time ever as a public company.Overall, Snap's fourth quarter checked off all the boxes it needed to check off. The user base stabilized. ARPU growth accelerated. Gross margins expanded. The opex rate fell. Net loss narrowed. So long as Snap keeps checking off those boxes, the long term bull thesis in SNAP stock will gain traction. Everything Is Priced InThe problem with SNAP is that, after a 100%-plus rally in two and a half months, the stock is fully priced for all these positive developments.The user base is stable, but it's not growing. With Instagram at over a billion users, and much bigger platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp successfully replicating Snap's core Stories feature, it's pretty clear that Snap won't grow its user base by much in the long run. At scale, Snap can get to maybe 200 million daily active users, versus 186 million today.The big growth driver here is ARPU. Quarterly ARPU was narrowly above $2 last quarter. Over at Twitter (NYSE:TWTR), quarterly ARPU is running around $7. At Facebook (NASDAQ:FB), it's up at $11. Thus, there is a long runway for Snap's ARPU to improve in the long run, and presently large growth rates (37% ARPU growth last quarter) imply that Snap has momentum on that runway.Having said that, ARPU won't ever get to Facebook levels, which benefits from multiple advertising channels. Instead, it will likely max out around current Twitter levels, or roughly $7.Gross margins are currently under 50%. At Twitter, they are north of 60%, and closing in on 70%. At Facebook, they are north of 80%. Due to lack of scale, Snap won't ever get to 80% margins. But, 70% seems doable if ARPU can grow to $7. Also, the opex rate should normalize to a much more normal ~40% rate at scale.Overall, I see Snap as being a 200 million user platform one day with $5 billion-plus in ad revenue, and roughly 30% operating margins. Assuming all that materializes by 2025, I think the company can do about $0.75 in EPS by then.Based on a digital ad average 25 forward multiple, that implies a fiscal 2024 price target for SNAP stock of nearly $19. Discounted back by 10% per year, that equates to a fiscal 2019 price target in the mid-$11's.That's exactly where Snap trades today, and it's only March. Bottom Line on SNAP StockThe fundamentals underlying Snap are materially improving, and the stock is staging a huge turnaround as a result. But, the best of this turnaround has already come and gone. Chasing here seems unnecessarily risky. Waiting for a big dip before buying seems like the smarter move.As of this writing, Luke Lango was long FB and TWTR. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 5 of the Best Stocks to Buy Under $10 * 7 Single-Digit P/E Stocks With Massive Upside * 7 Best Quantum Computing Stocks Trading Today Compare Brokers The post This Snap Stock Rally Looks like It's on Its Last Legs appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- Fox Business Videos•2 days ago
Rep. Nunes’ lawsuit against Twitter is frivolous: Judge Napolitano
Fox News senior judicial analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano discusses Rep. Devin Nunes’ (R-Calif.) $250 million lawsuit against Twitter, accusing the social media platform of “shadow banning” conservatives.
- Fox Business Videos•2 days ago
Rep. Nunes sues Twitter for $250 million, accuses social media platform of ‘shadow banning’ conservatives
Cybersecurity and privacy attorney Leeza Garber and Fox News contributor Deroy Murdock on Rep. Devin Nunes’ (R-Calif.) $250 million lawsuit against Twitter.
Reuters Videos•2 days agoGOP lawmaker sues Twitter for $250 million
Republican Devin Nunes is suing Twitter and several Twitter users, claiming the site unfairly censored his tweets and subjected him to hateful messages. Zachary Goelman reports.
