Twitter (STAR)
Donald Trump may miss Twitter, but Twitter doesn’t miss Donald Trump. Shares of the microblogging platform have soared more than 50 per cent since it permanently banned the stable genius in January for inciting violence. Coincidence? Maybe. Twitter Inc. investors have had plenty of other reasons to cheer, including better-than-expected quarterly results released earlier this month, followed by this week’s announcement that the company is aiming to double revenue to US$7.5-billion by 2023 from US$3.7-billion in 2020. With the stock hitting a record high, Twitter investors are the ones who feel like geniuses.
Tesla (DOG)
This might sound crazy, but it looks Wall Street got a bit carried away with the whole Tesla thing. At its peak of about US$900 in January, the stock sported a price-to-earnings multiple of more than 200 and Tesla Inc.’s market cap topped US$800-billion – 10 times that of General Motors. Since then, the shares have plummeted 25 per cent, as investors began to question Tesla’s valuation and as chief executive officer Elon Musk bet US$1.5-billion of the company’s cash on bitcoin. There’s also the fact that Tesla’s cars have been getting panned: In the latest Consumer Reports reliability survey, Tesla ranked second-last of 26 brands. Well, it’s better than being last, I guess.
Bank of Montreal (STAR)
Wow, the pandemic sure has been hard on Canadian banks. Not. Take Bank of Montreal, which posted a first-quarter profit of $2-billion or $3.06 a share on an adjusted basis – up 29 per cent from a year earlier and 44 per cent higher than analysts had estimated. With BMO and other banks raking in higher trading and investment banking revenues and setting aside less money for loan losses – thanks to credit portfolios that have held up better than expected – most of the Big Five stocks rallied this week. Now, if the banks could get the green light to resume dividend increases, investors might get really excited.
Royal Caribbean Cruises (STAR)
After being cooped up at home for the past year, some people can’t wait to be cooped up on a boat with thousands of strangers. Even as Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. posted a net loss of US$1.4-billion for the fourth quarter, the cruise operator’s shares rose after the company said bookings have jumped 30 per cent since the beginning of the year compared with November and December. “People are clamouring for opportunities to have experiences outside their home,” chief executive officer Richard Fain said. What could possibly go wrong?
GameStop (STAR)
Apparently, people didn’t learn their lesson the last time GameStop Corp. soared – and then blew up in investors’ faces. In a repeat of the Reddit-driven rally that propelled the struggling video-game retailer to unsustainable heights in January, shares of GameStop climbed more than 300 per cent over two days this week. But the stock promptly tumbled, costing investors who bought at the top nearly half their money. Here’s a better idea: Go to Vegas and put all of your savings on red.
A humorous look at the companies that caught our eye, for better or worse, this week
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John Heinzl