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Yahoo Shares Hit New Low on Analyst Day
Thursday May 18, 2:41 pm ET
Yahoo Shares Hit Fresh 52-Week Low As Analyst Day Underwhelms Participants
NEW YORK (AP) -- Shares of Yahoo Inc. slipped to a new 52-week low Thursday as Wednesday's analyst day underwhelmed participants.
The company's stock fell 84 cents, or 3 percent, to $29.27 in afternoon trading on the Nasdaq. It had reached a low of $29.10 earlier in the session, with shares previously trading in a 52-week range of $29.75 to $43.66.
Merrill Lynch analyst Justin Post said Yahoo appears to be gaining strong product and technology momementum, but said in a client note that its "most important technology enhancement, improved core search monetization from more relevant paid search results, is not expected to have an impact until 2007."
Post maintained his "Neutral" rating for Yahoo.
Benjamin A. Schachter, an analyst with UBS Securities, was hoping to get a little bit more out of the meeting. "While we were pleased to hear plans, timing and progress regarding search platform and monetization improvements, we would have preferred to hear more detail on the financial implications of these efforts. Overall, the analyst day is an incremental positive but nothing unexpected," Schachter said in a client note. He reaffirmed a "Buy 2" rating for the company.
Jefferies & Co. analyst ******* Squali, who reiterated a "Buy" rating, said in a note that Yahoo's new search platform, which is set to launch in the third quarter, "should dramatically improve the company's standing against Google."
While Squali was pleased with Chief Financial Officer Sue Decker's marketing services revenue comments, he was a little concerned with those made on leveling off margins long-term "which may be construed negatively since expectations are for incremental margin improvement over time."
"While we agree that long-term margins are likely to stabilize, we expect to see improvement from full-year 42 percent guidance over the next couple of years, driven primarily by better monetization," Squali said in the note.
Yahoo Shares Hit New Low on Analyst Day
Thursday May 18, 2:41 pm ET
Yahoo Shares Hit Fresh 52-Week Low As Analyst Day Underwhelms Participants
NEW YORK (AP) -- Shares of Yahoo Inc. slipped to a new 52-week low Thursday as Wednesday's analyst day underwhelmed participants.
The company's stock fell 84 cents, or 3 percent, to $29.27 in afternoon trading on the Nasdaq. It had reached a low of $29.10 earlier in the session, with shares previously trading in a 52-week range of $29.75 to $43.66.
Merrill Lynch analyst Justin Post said Yahoo appears to be gaining strong product and technology momementum, but said in a client note that its "most important technology enhancement, improved core search monetization from more relevant paid search results, is not expected to have an impact until 2007."
Post maintained his "Neutral" rating for Yahoo.
Benjamin A. Schachter, an analyst with UBS Securities, was hoping to get a little bit more out of the meeting. "While we were pleased to hear plans, timing and progress regarding search platform and monetization improvements, we would have preferred to hear more detail on the financial implications of these efforts. Overall, the analyst day is an incremental positive but nothing unexpected," Schachter said in a client note. He reaffirmed a "Buy 2" rating for the company.
Jefferies & Co. analyst ******* Squali, who reiterated a "Buy" rating, said in a note that Yahoo's new search platform, which is set to launch in the third quarter, "should dramatically improve the company's standing against Google."
While Squali was pleased with Chief Financial Officer Sue Decker's marketing services revenue comments, he was a little concerned with those made on leveling off margins long-term "which may be construed negatively since expectations are for incremental margin improvement over time."
"While we agree that long-term margins are likely to stabilize, we expect to see improvement from full-year 42 percent guidance over the next couple of years, driven primarily by better monetization," Squali said in the note.
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