Stocks
Reddit's Stock Soars as Morgan Stanley Turns Bullish
2024-12-09
Reddit's stock journey has been nothing short of remarkable. On Monday, it hit a record high, following an analyst upgrade that sent shockwaves through the market. Morgan Stanley's Brian Nowak played a crucial role in this upward trajectory. In a client note early Monday, Nowak upped his call on Reddit stock to overweight from equal weight. He also nearly tripled his price target for the stock, up to 200 from a previous 70. This move indicated a significant shift in sentiment towards the company.Nowak wrote, "We have been wrong on the sidelines with Reddit year-to-date. But as we look ahead to 2025, we don't think we have fully missed this scaling platform that is rapidly shipping its pipeline of engagement and advertising initiatives." These words highlighted the potential and growth opportunities that Reddit holds.On the stock market today, Reddit stock gained 2.8% to close at 167.28. Shares initially climbed to a record 180.74 before pulling back. This volatility showcases the dynamic nature of the stock market and Reddit's position within it.It is important to note that Nowak added that it is "still early" for Reddit's platform. There is ample room for user engagement and advertising to grow. He stated, "We see user and time spent per user growing, ad pricing rising (as advertisers pay for improving performance) and upside to ad load as well. This leads to roughly 35% 2024-2027 U.S. ad revenue growth … which is 2X-6X faster than peers." This growth perspective gives investors hope for the future.Reddit is taking a similar approach to industry leader Meta Platforms (META). By focusing on core improvements such as using machine learning to better analyze its first-party data and drive stronger engagement, Reddit aims to compete effectively. However, there are risks to this view, including competition from Meta, Snap, Pinterest, and larger ad industry players like Alphabet (GOOGL)-owned Google and Amazon.com (AMZN).Reddit got a positive reception from investors out of the IPO gate. But shares really soared after the company posted 68% sales growth and a surprise profit with its third-quarter results in late October. Reddit stock added 18% in November after it gained 81% in October. Shares were up 16% for December heading into Monday trading. This consistent growth has attracted the attention of analysts, who have steadily upped their estimates.Analysts have an average target price of 131.50 for Reddit, according to FactSet. Morgan Stanley's new 200 target is the highest overall. Reddit broke out from a cup-with-handle base buy point of 69.11 on Oct. 4. The stock then gapped up a massive 42% on Oct. 30, after the company's third-quarter earnings report. It is also on the premier IBD 50 list, as well as IBD's IPO Leaders and Tech Leaders lists.In conclusion, Reddit's stock performance is a testament to its potential and the confidence of analysts. As it continues to grow and navigate the competitive landscape, it will be interesting to see how it unfolds in the coming years.
Unlock the Potential of Reddit's Stock with Analyst Upgrades