BREAKING: Futures Rise Modestly
Robinhood (HOOD) is the popular stock market-trading app among young and first-time investors and traders. After the company’s hyped IPO on July 29, is Robinhood stock a buy in the current stock market rally?
On July 28, Robinhood priced 55 million shares at $38 a share, raising $2.1 billion. But the pricing came in at the low end of its expected range. The stock closed the day at 34.82, more than 8% below the IPO price.
The company is known for pioneering commission-free stock trading with no account minimums. The platform allows users to make unlimited commission-free trades in stocks, exchange-traded funds, options and cryptocurrencies. Robinhood ranked among the best online stock brokers in 2021 for Mobile Trading Platforms/Apps and Margin Investing/Interest Rate.
The app is popular among young and first-time investors and traders. Millions of young investors flocked to Robinhood during the meme-stocks trading mania for stocks like GameStop (GME) and AMC Entertainment (AMC). Excitement around cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin also fueled interest in the app.
“While we are only six years into our journey, we have already seen profound transformations in how people think about their money,” Chief Executive Vlad Tenev and Chief Creative Officer Baiju Bhatt said in written remarks with the Robinhood IPO filing.
“The next generation of investors is younger and more diverse than ever before and finance is now as culturally relevant as music and the arts,” the executives said.
The company had over 22 million funded accounts at the end of the first quarter. More than half of the customers’ funding accounts said Robinhood was their first brokerage account, the company said. It has $81 billion in assets under control.
Robinhood reported Q2 earnings on Aug. 18. The company said it lost $502 million, or $2.16 per share, on revenue of $565 million amid a massive surge in crypto trading.
Robinhood reported its Q3 results on Oct. 26 after the market close. The company gave weaker-than-expected revenue guidance after missing estimates for the third quarter as retail trading activity fell. Robinhood lost $2.06 a share vs. a 5-cent loss a year ago, though it’s not clear if that’s a comparable figure to analyst estimates. Year over year, Q3 revenue rose 35% to $364.9 million, definitely falling short.
On Aug. 5, Robinhood said various shareholders will sell up to 97.9 million shares over time. The maximum selling price for Robinhood stock will be 35.12 for the offering, which will generate proceeds for the shareholders of up to $3.44 billion. In response, Robinhood stock plunged over 27%, giving back a large portion of the previous session’s 50% surge.
On Aug. 31, SEC Chairman Gary Gensler said banning payment for trades is an option. The top stock market regulator told Barron’s that a ban on payment for order flow in “on the table.” Because Robinhood doesn’t charge its users fees for trades, it generates revenue by directing trades to certain market makers in return for a portion of the profits.
Gensler told Barron’s the practice has “an inherent conflict of interest,” noting that SEC staff could come out with proposals in the coming months. “They get the data, they get the first look, they get to match off buyers and sellers out of that order flow. That may not be the most efficient markets for the 2020s.”
Gensler added: “I’m raising this because it’s on the table. This is very clear.”
Robinhood stock price dropped 0.5% Friday, trading around 36.90.
HOOD stock is about 60% off the all-time high set on Aug. 4 at 85. Keep an eye out for a new base to form, which would offer the stock’s first buy point.
According to the IBD Stock Checkup, HOOD stock shows a weak 27 out of a perfect 99 IBD Composite Rating. The Composite Rating helps investors easily measure a stock’s fundamental and technical metrics. Weak IBD Composite Ratings are normal for new issues.
Robinhood stock is one of the top IPO stocks to watch in the current stock market action. The company boasts huge sales growth in recent quarters, and the company’s potential is encouraging amid the surging popularity of stock trading among young investors. Shares are far from their post-IPO highs and there is no current buy point, so the stock isn’t a buy right now. Wait for the stock to form its first base, which would offer an initial buy point.
For more leading stocks and stocks approaching buy points, check out IBD Stock Lists, like Stocks Near A Buy Zone. To see the current stock market trend, check out IBD’s signature daily analysis, The Big Picture.
Be sure to follow Scott Lehtonen on Twitter at @IBD_SLehtonen for more on growth stocks and the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:
Top Growth Stocks To Buy And Watch
Learn How To Time The Market With IBD’s ETF Market Strategy
Looking For Market Insights? Check Out Our IBD Live Daily Segment
Find The Best Long-Term Investments With IBD Long-Term Leaders
Meme Stock AMC Has ‘Transformational Quarter’
10:14 AM ET Buying a stock is easy, but purchasing the right stock without a proven strategy is incredibly hard. Here are the…
10:14 AM ET Buying a stock is easy, but purchasing the right stock…
The U.S. IPO market has posted its busiest year ever, with 2021 already well outpacing even the frantic record pace set last year. (© Gary Neill)
Get instant access to exclusive stock lists, expert market analysis and powerful tools with 2 months of IBD Digital for only $20!
Get market updates, educational videos, webinars, and stock analysis.
Learn how you can make more money with IBD’s investing tools, top-performing stock lists, and educational content.
Notice: Information contained herein is not and should not be construed as an offer, solicitation, or recommendation to buy or sell securities. The information has been obtained from sources we believe to be reliable; however no guarantee is made or implied with respect to its accuracy, timeliness, or completeness. Authors may own the stocks they discuss. The information and content are subject to change without notice.
*Real-time prices by Nasdaq Last Sale. Realtime quote and/or trade prices are not sourced from all markets.
Ownership data provided by Refinitiv and Estimates data provided by FactSet.
© 2000-2021 Investor’s Business Daily, LLC. All rights reserved
