Should You Buy Stock on Spotify?
Spotify plans to go public through a direct listing on the New York Stock Exchange in the next few weeks, and this has sparked investor interest hoping it’s the next hot tech stock (a little more Netflix, a little less Snapchat). So, is it worth investing?
First: make sure you invest in a retirement account through low-cost ETFs or index funds before investing a ton of money in an individual company stock. You want to learn your financial fundamentals before taking such a huge risk.
Ok, back to Spotify. There is a classic tip, “buy what you know,” and a lot of people know Spotify. As of December 31, 2017, it has 71 million subscribers and 159 million monthly active users. So it’s okay to think that if you and 159 million other people love Spotify, it can make a decent investment in technology if you want to diversify. with several separate promotions.
But don’t rush into it once it goes public, suggests Kevin Dixon, senior market analyst at the Market Traders Institute. Sit back and let big investors dictate the market, then buy in small batches a few weeks later when things settle down. “[Going public] can be quite risky because usually institutions start to pay attention to it,” he says. “Wait a few weeks and then start watching. The first day will be very unstable. “
And recognize that a direct Spotify listing (as opposed to an initial public offering or IPO) means there won’t necessarily be many shares to buy back. By James Royal for Nerdwallet ,
“Unlike the traditional route, where a predetermined number of shares will go public on the day of the IPO, there are no guarantees with a direct listing. In this case, going public simply means that the shares can be traded on the exchange; not that it will be . Shares will only trade publicly when sold by insiders. Maybe a few shares have been sold, or maybe a lot. So there won’t be a big market unless insiders sell a lot of stock, and the lack of selling could end up creating a market that’s turned upside down. ”
Since there may be few stocks, investor demand can be much higher than usual, which can lead to even more volatility.
As I mentioned above, Snapchat was the most watched tech stock in 2017 and closed above its IPO price last month for the first time since June 2017. All of this suggests that it’s okay to be patient and really think about your decision. …
While you wait, do a little research on the Spotify business. You need more backups than just the fact that you like the product. How do you make money? What’s his long term plan to keep making money? What alternatives are eating up his market? Think: According to Recode, the company “reported an operating loss of $ 461 million on revenues of nearly $ 5 billion last year.” All this must be taken into account.
“You look at a company like Amazon, everyone made a fortune by buying Amazon, but this company is still not making a profit. There are many challenges you can face when doing this, ”says Sean O’Hara, President of Pacer ETFs. “I think Spotify has a good fundamental business, but it comes down to valuation. Is it worth what it says? There are no free lunches. At some point I think you need to make money to keep people buying your stock. “
None of this means you shouldn’t invest in Spotify or watch what else is out there. But make sure you don’t put all your money in high-tech stocks because you’re trying to find the next Google. Wait the first few weeks and come back to it when you’re happy with the company’s business model and long-term plan.