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Sell Twitter Stock on Musk Circus, Says Top Analyst
Stock Analysis & Ideas

Sell Twitter Stock on Musk Circus, Says Top Analyst

Early in April, Elon Musk revealed he had bought a 9.2% stake in Twitter (TWTR), making him the micro-blogging platform’s largest shareholder. Following which, he was offered a place on the board that he initially accepted. That, however, would cap his ownership at 14.9%. Assessing his strategy, Musk then decided not to join the board, thereby removing the limitation. Musk’s next step was to offer to completely buy out the company at a price of $54.20 per share (giving Twitter a valuation of $43.4 billion), take it off the public markets and change the platform more to his liking.

With the conditions set out in his plan, the final move is the last straw for Stifel’s 5-star analyst Mark Kelley.

“We believe TWTR shares are now completely detached from the fundamental story with Elon Musk’s involvement, as he just put a near-term $54.20 ceiling on shares, as he states in the letter to the Board that this is his ‘best and final offer’ and ‘if it is not accepted, I would need to reconsider my position as a shareholder’ — therefore either (1) the company goes private at $54.20, and you’re playing for ~15% upside from here, or (2) the offer is declined, Musk sells his stake and the shares sell off dramatically,” Kelley commented.

The Musk saga trumps all other developments but is not the only issue bothering Kelley. In the company’s latest Analyst Day, Twitter outlined several targets, including its aim to reach 315 million mDAUs by the end of 2023. However, Kelley remains cautious on Twitter’s “ability” to reach that or the other objectives. Furthermore, despite, checking a lot of the boxes, the analyst thinks the advertising community has not giving the product roadmap the “attention it deserves.”

While these issues are concerning, it is the “full blown Elon circus” which results in Kelley downgrading his TWTR rating from Hold to Sell. The $39 price target stays as is, suggesting shares have ~20% downside from current levels. (To watch Kelley’s track record, click here)

A look at the consensus breakdown does not inspire much confidence either. TWTR stock’s Hold consensus rating is based on 20 Holds, 5 Buys and 3 Sells. Going by the $45.57 average target, the shares are expected to stay rangebound for the foreseeable future. (See Twitter stock forecast on TipRanks)

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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analyst. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.

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