Twitter

The selling point of its IPO?

Twitter introduces self-serve ads outside US

SAN FRANCISCO — Twitter said yesterday (Nov 14) that it will introduce self-serve ads for small- and medium-sized businesses in three countries outside the United States, marking one of its first moves to expand revenue as a publicly listed company.

Businesses in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Canada will be able to buy “promoted” ads that can be shown to targeted Twitter users beginning this week, the company said.

SAN FRANCISCO — Twitter said yesterday (Nov 14) that it will introduce self-serve ads for small- and medium-sized businesses in three countries outside the United States, marking one of its first moves to expand revenue as a publicly listed company.

Businesses in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Canada will be able to buy “promoted” ads that can be shown to targeted Twitter users beginning this week, the company said.

Twitter held a successful initial public offering last week that raised US$1.8 billion (S$2.24 billion). Its stock price has since soared, implying a market capitalisation of more than US$24 billion.

Twitter, which made US$317 million in revenue last year, generates the majority of its sales through selling ad packages directly to large companies and international brands such as Verizon or Samsung. But analysts believe it has the potential to greatly boost sales by letting smaller businesses buy automated ads without the help of Twitter salespeople.

Google, for instance, became an online advertising powerhouse by automating its ad-buying capabilities for small- and medium-sized business.

Twitter gave US businesses early access to the self-serve programme earlier this year. The company has said it intends to eventually roll out the programme around the world.

Analysts expect Twitter to make more than US$1.1 billion in revenue next year, according to Thomson Reuters data.

http://www.todayonline.com/business/twit...outside-us

It sounds strange that the promoters are having different view, just month after the IPO...

Twitter stock gets mixed reviews from IPO underwriters

[SAN FRANCISCO] Twitter Inc shares slipped on Monday after some of the five lead underwriters of its initial public offering said the social media firm may not achieve Facebook-like scale and its stock may not rise much higher.

In their first research reports since the November IPO, only Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs recommended buying the stock. Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan issued the equivalent of "hold"ratings. One analyst, Justin Post of Bank of America Merrill Lynch, initiated coverage with a sell rating and valued shares at US$36, according to theflyonthewall.com.

Twitter shares dipped 1.3 per cent to US$41 on Monday. After an explosive debut on Nov 7, when shares closed more than 70 percent above the US$26 IPO price, Twitter has churned for weeks in the low US$40s. -Reuters

Source: Business Times Breaking News

Twitter new initiative to improve profitability of the company...

Twitter rolls out cookie-based ad targeting

SAN FRANCISCO] Twitter Inc will begin showing ads to users based on their browsing history, it said on Thursday, becoming the latest Internet company to employ the controversial but increasingly widespread tracking technology.

Twitter's new advertising feature allows marketers to use cookies - small files planted in Web surfers' computers that contain bits of information about which sites they have visited or where they are logging in from - to display highly targeted Twitter ads.

Twitter, which went public last month, first announced in July that it would begin testing cookie-based ad targeting, joining the likes of Google Inc, Facebook Inc and Amazon Inc and countless other Internet companies that rely on the technology to serve ads.

Twitter's new feature, which is expected to raise advertising rates and revenues for the company, arrives in the midst of heightened public debate over the erosion of online privacy. - Reuters

Source: Business Times Breaking News

It is useful for users in EM, where internet connection still expansive...

Twitter to be available on mobile phones without Internet

SINGAPORE — Twitter is tying up with a Singapore-based startup to make its 140-character messaging service available to users in emerging markets who have entry-level mobile phones which cannot access the Internet.

U2opia Mobile, which has a similar tie-up with Facebook, will launch its Twitter service in the first quarter of next year, Chief Executive and Co-founder Sumesh Menon told Reuters.

Users will need to dial a simple code to get a feed of the popular trending topics on Twitter, he said.

More than 11 million people use U2opia’s Fonetwish service, which helps access Facebook and Google Talk on mobile without a data connection.
...
http://www.todayonline.com/tech/twitter-...t-internet

Twitter seems has done the right things after its IPO...

Twitter shares soar, near all-time high

[SAN FRANCISCO] Twitter shares soared more than 9 per cent on Monday to their highest level since the company's initial public offering after a spate of product announcements that could boost its revenue prospects.

Shares rose to US$49 in mid-day trading, up 9.2 per cent. Twitter has mostly traded in the low-US$40 range in recent weeks since Nov 7, when shares briefly topped US$50 in the hours following its highly anticipated IPO. - Reuters

Source: Business Times Breaking News

Since we are already in middle of Dec and yesterday was an upday, it might be interesting to follow up on my observation.

S&P is up 0.91% since 6 Nov close while Twitter up 117.7% from IPO price, and possibly we might have some residual capricorn effect early Jan.

Let's see if history rhymes again with these big name listings in midst of euphoria.

(05-11-2013, 11:49 AM)specuvestor Wrote: I've a feeling that Twitter IPO is going to mark the US market high for at least next 12 months

Analyst rating does matter...

Twitter shares slide after downgrade

SAN FRANCISCO – After a big rally this month, Twitter’s stock dropped 13 percent yesterday (Dec 27), reflecting investor concerns that its price had soared too high.

The company’s stock had nearly tripled from its initial public offering price of US$26 (S$33) in early November, closing at US$73.31 Thursday. Most of those gains came this month after the San Francisco company rolled out a new targeted advertising program.

But shares gave back some gains yesterday after a Macquarie Capital analyst lowered his investment rating on the social media company, citing a major run-up in the stock.
...
http://www.todayonline.com/tech/twitter-...-downgrade

A reality check. Is the expectation on user growth too far a shot for the company?

Twitter’s sputtering user growth unnerves investors

SAN FRANCISCO — Twitter yesterday (Feb 5) reported its slowest pace of user growth in recent company history, dimming hopes that the social media phenomenon can sustain its torrid pace of expansion and wiping out nearly a fifth of the company’s value in after-hours trading.

The San Francisco company posted better-than-expected fourth-quarter revenue of US$243 million (S$308 million) in its first results as a public company. But investors focused on the anemic user growth, as well as a severe decline in timeline views, a measure of user engagement.
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http://www.todayonline.com/tech/twitters...-investors

^^ Reminded me that S&P is already below 6 Nov close even after a strong run up late December.

Now to see when Twitter will go below $44.90 IPO first day close to usher in the end of the 2nd dot com run.

(17-12-2013, 11:06 AM)specuvestor Wrote: Since we are already in middle of Dec and yesterday was an upday, it might be interesting to follow up on my observation.

S&P is up 0.91% since 6 Nov close while Twitter up 117.7% from IPO price, and possibly we might have some residual capricorn effect early Jan.

Let's see if history rhymes again with these big name listings in midst of euphoria.

(05-11-2013, 11:49 AM)specuvestor Wrote: I've a feeling that Twitter IPO is going to mark the US market high for at least next 12 months

TODAY: Twitter seeks to raise profits by providing business intelligence - by Tan Weizhen

"we can help coy target people based on who they are following; as it's a signal of who they like, we can target based on the conversations they are having," Mr Parminder Singh, Twitter's MD for SEA, India, Middle East & North Africa.

"Coy need to understand the moments that are relevant to their products. If a brand sells pizza, we will tell them the information that's most relevant, such as the users who send out tweets with the hashtag'hunger', and it's possible for them to send out promoted tweets at certain times."

"SGP is the hub for many decision makers."

Twitter's Singapore office expects to expends its team to 2x it's current strength of "several dozen"

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