Facebook shares hit again on valuation doubts

As more details about Facebook's IPO emerge, investors have been finger-pointing, complaining and speculating about what's next for the company, Morgan Stanley and the Nasdaq, which had trouble executing trades on the day of Facebook began trading publicl

Former Olympus president and chief executive Michael Woodford.

The selloff in Facebook's shares deepened on Tuesday, as investors continued to question the stock's valuation after Reuters reported that underwriters cut their revenue forecasts for the company before the IPO.

Facebook's shares hit a low of $30.98 on Tuesday, 8.9 per cent below Monday's close, a loss of 18 percent from their $38 IPO price.

At the low, the stock had lost 30 per cent from an intraday high of $45 hit shortly after trading started on Friday. More than 28 million shares had traded in early action on Tuesday, making it one of the most actively traded in US markets.

Shares were recently at $31.75, down 6.7 per cent on the day.

Facebook's revenue growth has been slowing in recent quarters, raising flags among some who believe the company should show consistently strong revenue growth at this stage in its life.

The company surprised investors after disclosing, just days before the initial public offering, that its revenue may be hit by more users transitioning to mobile platforms, where advertising is less proven. That prompted the analyst at Morgan Stanley to surprisingly tell clients that he was cutting his revenue forecasts for the company.

The company's current price still implies very high annual growth rates. Thomson Reuters Starmine, meanwhile, using expected growth rates of about 10.8 percent over the next decade, values the shares at $9.59, or less than one-third of its current price.

Copyright: Thomson Reuters 2012

The selloff in Facebook's shares deepened on Tuesday, as investors continued to question the stock's valuation after Reuters reported that underwriters cut their revenue forecasts for the company before the IPO.

Facebook's shares hit a low of $30.98 on Tuesday, 8.9 per cent below Monday's close, a loss of 18 percent from their $38 IPO price.

At the low, the stock had lost 30 per cent from an intraday high of $45 hit shortly after trading started on Friday. More than 28 million shares had traded in early action on Tuesday, making it one of the most actively traded in US markets.

Shares were recently at $31.75, down 6.7 per cent on the day.

Facebook's revenue growth has been slowing in recent quarters, raising flags among some who believe the company should show consistently strong revenue growth at this stage in its life.

The company surprised investors after disclosing, just days before the initial public offering, that its revenue may be hit by more users transitioning to mobile platforms, where advertising is less proven. That prompted the analyst at Morgan Stanley to surprisingly tell clients that he was cutting his revenue forecasts for the company.

The company's current price still implies very high annual growth rates. Thomson Reuters Starmine, meanwhile, using expected growth rates of about 10.8 percent over the next decade, values the shares at $9.59, or less than one-third of its current price.

Copyright: Thomson Reuters 2012

The selloff in Facebook's shares deepened on Tuesday, as investors continued to question the stock's valuation after Reuters reported that underwriters cut their revenue forecasts for the company before the IPO.

Facebook's shares hit a low of $30.98 on Tuesday, 8.9 per cent below Monday's close, a loss of 18 percent from their $38 IPO price.

At the low, the stock had lost 30 per cent from an intraday high of $45 hit shortly after trading started on Friday. More than 28 million shares had traded in early action on Tuesday, making it one of the most actively traded in US markets.

Shares were recently at $31.75, down 6.7 per cent on the day.

Facebook's revenue growth has been slowing in recent quarters, raising flags among some who believe the company should show consistently strong revenue growth at this stage in its life.

The company surprised investors after disclosing, just days before the initial public offering, that its revenue may be hit by more users transitioning to mobile platforms, where advertising is less proven. That prompted the analyst at Morgan Stanley to surprisingly tell clients that he was cutting his revenue forecasts for the company.

The company's current price still implies very high annual growth rates. Thomson Reuters Starmine, meanwhile, using expected growth rates of about 10.8 percent over the next decade, values the shares at $9.59, or less than one-third of its current price.

Copyright: Thomson Reuters 2012

lock-gif
Register for Free
to continue reading
Sign Up with Google
OR
Watch LIVE TV, Get Stock Market Updates, Top Business, IPO and Latest News on NDTV Profit. Feel free to Add NDTV Profit as trusted source on Google.
GET REGULAR UPDATES
Add us to your Preferences
Set as your preferred source on Google