Chicago, IL – January 30, 2023 – Today, Zacks Investment Ideas feature highlights Meta Platforms META, Alphabet GOOGL, Snap Inc SNAP, Oracle ORCL and Global Social Media ETF SOCL.
TikTok Ban Coming: 3 Stocks That Would Benefit
The Social Media Landscape Is Evolving
The social media landscape has changed dramatically over the past few years with the rapid ascent of the personalized video platform app TikTok. Despite TikTok’s rapid rise, Meta Platforms and Alphabet are still the dominant players. In terms of monthly active users, three Meta platforms make up the top four rankings globally: Facebook (#1), Whatsapp (#3), and Instagram (#4).
Alphabet holds the second spot with its video platform Youtube and TikTok is ranked #6. Even with the continued dominance of existing players like META and GOOGL, stock performance has been lackluster in recent years. The Global Social Media ETF is the most followed social media ETF (note that it does not include TikTok).
What has Led to the Underperformance of Existing Players?
For one, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is paying less attention to his lucrative social media business and instead investing valuable resources in what he sees as the future – the metaverse. Approximately 20% of Meta’s current investments are aimed at this project. While the bold bet has not panned out for Zuckerberg and Meta yet, he plans to stay the course.
The other major factor leading to the underperformance in domestic social media platforms such as Instagram, Youtube, and Snap Inc’s Snap Chat platform is TikTok’s success.
Chinese-based ByteDance launched TikTok in the United States in 2016, and since then, the platform has dominated. The app, which allows users to create and modify short-form videos, has caught on, especially with the younger generation. TikTok’s competitors have noticed. To win eyes back, Instagram has launched “Reels” and Youtube has created “Shorts” –aimed at users who prefer short, customizable videos like Tik Tok.
SnapChat, already in the short video space, has suffered the most from TikTok’s rise.
National Security Concerns
Though TikTok is one of the dominant global social media players and shows little signs of slowing growth – other factors may play a significant role in the social media space moving forward. Concerns are growing that ByteDance is collecting unnecessary personal data on its users and possibly supplying it to the Chinese government (the biggest rival of the U.S.).
Former President Donald Trump attempted to ban TikTok in 2020, but ultimately the app was able to remain active. The Biden administration struck down the potential Trump ban on TikTok but ordered a national security investigation.
A Potential Catalyst for Domestic Social Media Platforms
Even with the failed TikTok bans of the past, momentum is growing for a new possible attempted ban. In the past year, FBI director Christopher Wray, FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, and Senator Josh Hawley have called for a domestic TikTok ban. Meanwhile, several U.S. colleges have implemented their own bans (via WiFi) amid security concerns.
Tuesday, Josh Hawley announced he would introduce a bill to ban the app. Investors who follow the social media space should keep a close eye on how the efforts to ban the app play out. If the app is ultimately banned, SNAP will benefit the most, along with META and GOOGL. Software giant Oracle, which supports TikTok via its cloud platform, would stand to lose.
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TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was down more than 200 points in late-morning trading, weighed down by losses in the technology, base metal and energy sectors, while U.S. stock markets also fell.
The S&P/TSX composite index was down 239.24 points at 22,749.04.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 312.36 points at 40,443.39. The S&P 500 index was down 80.94 points at 5,422.47, while the Nasdaq composite was down 380.17 points at 16,747.49.
The Canadian dollar traded for 73.80 cents US compared with 74.00 cents US on Thursday.
The October crude oil contract was down US$1.07 at US$68.08 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$2.26 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was down US$2.10 at US$2,541.00 an ounce and the December copper contract was down four cents at US$4.10 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 6, 2024.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 150 points in late-morning trading, helped by strength in technology, financial and energy stocks, while U.S. stock markets also pushed higher.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 171.41 points at 23,298.39.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 278.37 points at 41,369.79. The S&P 500 index was up 38.17 points at 5,630.35, while the Nasdaq composite was up 177.15 points at 17,733.18.
The Canadian dollar traded for 74.19 cents US compared with 74.23 cents US on Wednesday.
The October crude oil contract was up US$1.75 at US$76.27 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$2.10 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$18.70 at US$2,556.50 an ounce and the December copper contract was down less than a penny at US$4.22 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 29, 2024.
The crypto market has recently experienced a significant downturn, mirroring broader risk asset sell-offs. Over the past week, Bitcoin’s price dropped by 24%, reaching $53,000, while Ethereum plummeted nearly a third to $2,340. Major altcoins also suffered, with Cardano down 27.7%, Solana 36.2%, Dogecoin 34.6%, XRP 23.1%, Shiba Inu 30.1%, and BNB 25.7%.
The severe downturn in the crypto market appears to be part of a broader flight to safety, triggered by disappointing economic data. A worse-than-expected unemployment report on Friday marked the beginning of a technical recession, as defined by the Sahm Rule. This rule identifies a recession when the three-month average unemployment rate rises by at least half a percentage point from its lowest point in the past year.
Friday’s figures met this threshold, signaling an abrupt economic downshift. Consequently, investors sought safer assets, leading to declines in major stock indices: the S&P 500 dropped 2%, the Nasdaq 2.5%, and the Dow 1.5%. This trend continued into Monday with further sell-offs overseas.
The crypto market’s rapid decline raises questions about its role as either a speculative asset or a hedge against inflation and recession. Despite hopes that crypto could act as a risk hedge, the recent crash suggests it remains a speculative investment.
Since the downturn, the crypto market has seen its largest three-day sell-off in nearly a year, losing over $500 billion in market value. According to CoinGlass data, this bloodbath wiped out more than $1 billion in leveraged positions within the last 24 hours, including $365 million in Bitcoin and $348 million in Ether.
Khushboo Khullar of Lightning Ventures, speaking to Bloomberg, argued that the crypto sell-off is part of a broader liquidity panic as traders rush to cover margin calls. Khullar views this as a temporary sell-off, presenting a potential buying opportunity.
Josh Gilbert, an eToro market analyst, supports Khullar’s perspective, suggesting that the expected Federal Reserve rate cuts could benefit crypto assets. “Crypto assets have sold off, but many investors will see an opportunity. We see Federal Reserve rate cuts, which are now likely to come sharper than expected, as hugely positive for crypto assets,” Gilbert told Coindesk.
Despite the recent volatility, crypto continues to make strides toward mainstream acceptance. Notably, Morgan Stanley will allow its advisors to offer Bitcoin ETFs starting Wednesday. This follows more than half a year after the introduction of the first Bitcoin ETF. The investment bank will enable over 15,000 of its financial advisors to sell BlackRock’s IBIT and Fidelity’s FBTC. This move is seen as a significant step toward the “mainstreamization” of crypto, given the lengthy regulatory and company processes in major investment banks.
The recent crypto market downturn highlights its volatility and the broader economic concerns affecting all risk assets. While some analysts see the current situation as a temporary sell-off and a buying opportunity, others caution against the speculative nature of crypto. As the market evolves, its role as a mainstream alternative asset continues to grow, marked by increasing institutional acceptance and new investment opportunities.
