Shares of BlackBerry Respond to Societe Generale's Downgrade

Shares of

fell as much as 4.447 percent following Societe Generale analyst Andy Perkins downgrade from Hold to Sell. Amidst recent gains in shareholder value, Perkins reported that BlackBerry is worth only $6.00 in a sum-of-the-parts valuation. The analyst breaks down the value noting that handsets are worth $0.00, patents make up $1.30, subscriber services are worth $2.70, and the company's cash makes up the remaining $2.00. Societe Generale added that the future direction on BlackBerry handsets is less certain. The analyst specifically noted that the company's new Jakarta handset faces strong competition from Chinese vendors. Perkins also remarked on the Foxconn agreement, noting that the sale and leaseback of the Canadian property are “sensible moves” to buy time. BlackBerry reports fourth quarter results March 28, 2014. Shares of BlackBerry are up almost 23 percent YTD. Following Perkins' downgrade, shares fell 2.3 percent in pre-market trading and almost 4.45 percent at $8.77 on Thursday morning. Shares are currently trading at $8.90, down 2.89 percent.