UPDATE: Citigroup Initiates Buy, $12 PT on Zynga; 2H12 Reacceleration

Citigroup initiates its coverage on Zynga

with a Buy rating and a price target of $12 as it models reacceleration in the second half of 2012. Citigroup comments, "Zynga is the leading developer of Social Games and has built strong moats around its business: 292MM MAUs, a intensive focus around analytics of its games/players, and a proven track record of game monetization. The stock has been highly volatile since its IPO and is currently 20% below its IPO price, largely driven by a material deceleration in its Bookings growth. We think, however, that Zynga's Bookings growth could be bottoming, and we're modeling for reacceleration in 2H12 due to: 1) The recent release of several very strong titles (e.g. CastleVille & Hidden Chronicles); 2) The probability of a significantly larger Game launch in '12 than in '11; and 3) The impact of a new direct ad sales force." ZNGA closed at $7.93 on Tuesday.