GameStop Slips as Skeptic Warns That Reddit Rally Will Fade
Bailey Lipschultz, 12 April 2021
(Bloomberg) — GameStop Corp.’s Reddit-fueled trading surge is likely going to fade as threats from digital game downloads sink in, according to one skeptical Wall Street analyst.
The stock slumped after Ascendiant Capital Markets analyst Edward Woo downgraded the retailer to sell from hold, saying increasing digital sales for video-game publishers is a looming risk given GameStop’s minimal market share. He warned clients in a note about the long-term prospects for the company as the market for new gaming systems matures after new launches from Microsoft Corp. and Sony Group Corp.
The video-game retailer’s 741% surge this year through Friday’s close pushed its market value to $11 billion, however, Woo expects shares will tumble in the long run “to match its current weak results and outlook.” He trimmed his price target to $10 from $12, implying as much as a 94% drop from Friday’s close at $158.36.
Shares of the Grapevine, Texas-based company reversed initial gains to slump as much as 12% at 10:41 a.m. in New York. The stock has shed a quarter of its value in the past six session after a company plan to sell as much as $1 billion in additional shares.
