Earlier this week, we talked about Twitter stock forecasts being cut by Wall Street analysts, and how a new deal to make the company privately held will give the company more power to shape its platform. However, we also pointed out that if the deal doesn’t go through, Twitter may have to lay off massive amounts of workers.
mDAU
During the second quarter of 2019, Twitter (TWTR) posted a record net loss of $270 million. However, it did manage to post a whopping 16.6 million monetizable daily active users. This was the largest mDAU count in the company’s history. This accounted for a whopping 33.8% growth over the previous quarter. And, it’s worth noting that a lot of the growth was attributable to Covid’s lockdown during the second quarter.
In addition to the mDAU, Twitter also posted a number of other record breaking numbers. For example, the company posted the largest mobile data traffic of any social media company in the world. The company also managed to increase its advertising revenues in the second quarter of the year compared to the previous quarter. The company also launched a couple of features that will help it monetize the platform’s massive user base. This includes its new account linking feature, which was announced in March.
Musk’s decision to make Twitter privately held gives Twitter more power to shape the platform
During his initial investor conference, Elon Musk framed his takeover bid as a crusade to defend free speech. He also spoke about wanting to make Twitter into a “de facto town square” where debate can take place. However, many free speech advocates worry that Musk will use the platform to silence critics.
In the days following the announcement, Elon Musk fired twenty employees who posted critical messages about him on internal Slack channels. He also fired his chief compliance officer and head of safety. He also resigned his chief information security officer, Lea Kissner.
A new report from the Washington Post indicates that Musk plans to cut nearly 75% of Twitter’s workforce. This is the largest cut in company history. It also sparked a lot of concern among employees, who said they were confused about what the future of the social media platform would look like.
Musk is said to be in talks with major lenders to help fund his takeover. The report says that the company will need to find at least $1 billion a year to pay off the loans. Several banks are mentioned, including Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, and BNP Paribas.
Wall Street analysts have cut their Twitter stock forecasts
During the month of August, Wall Street analysts cut their Twitter stock forecasts in half. The company’s second quarter earnings released last week did not come with a bell and whistle. But a flurry of investment firms began advising their clients to sell the company’s shares. This was in tandem with a shareholder rights plan that lets shareholders buy more of the social media giant’s stock. The plan may not be a panacea, but it does seem to be a necessary evil.
The best Twitter stock price is likely to be a bargain, but it would be wise to conduct your own due diligence. Besides, no one really knows how much Twitter will be worth in a decade or so. This could prove to be a valuable lesson to learn.
One of Twitter’s competitors, Snap, is valued by the market at a forward FY 2023 EV/EBITDA multiple of 28.7 times. That is a reasonable price given both companies’ growth prospects.
Twitter plans massive layoffs even if the deal doesn’t go through
Earlier this month, Twitter’s CEO Elon Musk announced that the company would lay off half its employees. The cut will reportedly affect almost every department. The company plans to cut down on costs and cut its infrastructure. It will also be focusing on other revenue sources.
A group of five former Twitter employees are suing the company for allegedly failing to tell them about the layoffs. The lawsuit seeks class-action status. Other lawsuits claim that Musk’s severance package is not in line with the deal he made with the company before the merger.
Twitter has been grappling with spam tweets that were linked to porn, gambling, escort, and other services. The company has also faced pressure from activist groups to curb ads.
Employees are concerned about the safety of their personal information. They are concerned that Twitter will not be able to properly protect the data of its users. This could lead to a decline in morale and employees leaving the company.
