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Facebook shares hit again as valuation doubts rise

Facebook's shares hit a low of $30.98 on Tuesday, 8.9% below Monday's close

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Reuters New York

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% below Monday's close, a loss of 18% from their $38 IPO price.

At the low, the stock had lost 30% 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 U.S. markets.

Shares were recently at $31.75, down 6.7% 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.

 

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First Published: May 22 2012 | 8:02 PM IST

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