Twitter Trades Above $20 For First Time In Months; Stifel Upgrades

Twitter Inc TWTR pulled a fast one in the third quarter, delivering a surprising earnings beat that sent shares up over 18 percent as the stock surpassed the $20 mark for the first time in three months.

Following the earnings beat, Stifel upgraded Twitter from a Sell to a Hold rating and raised their price target from $12 to $17.

“Twitter showed signs of stability in the third quarter, including steady daily audience growth and rising spend among its largest ad buyers, which could lead to a return to revenue growth by early 2018 when the company faces easing comps,” said Stifel analyst Scott Devitt.

Arguably the most promising metric from the release was daily active users growing double-digits year over year in the quarter, in most of Twitter’s top ad markets.

Although Twitter turned in an EBITDA beat, proving that cost-cutting initiatives are starting to bear fruit, year-over-year revenues continue to decline and a return to sustained double-digit revenue growth may be a tough task.

“A return to sustained double-digit revenue growth, however, likely requires prolonged strength in audience growth, improving ad products that accentuate Twitter’s distinctive platform, advancements in measurement, and a continued flow of unique/engaging content,” said Devitt.

With advertising agencies placing a bigger focus on Snap Inc SNAP and Pinterest, the more difficult factor will be assessing whether Twitter’s budget growth will continue to be constrained due to the increased advertising competition.

At time of publication, shares of Twitter were up 19.19 percent at $20.41.

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