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In this current environment, buying Twitter (NYSE:TWTR) above the psychological threshold of $40 seems risky. The last time Twitter stock was so consistently elevated was back in June of last year. During that period, TWTR was angling to break into $50 but it failed quite spectacularly.
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Another point to consider is what my InvestorPlace colleague Will Ashworth recently stated. Comparing Twitter to Square (NYSE:SQ), Ashworth declared that the latter was the better name. One of the reasons is that Square is fundamentally more useful and valuable than Twitter.
As Ashworth points out, SQ has introduced many innovations, one of which is Square Terminal. He wrote last month:
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At the Canadian launch of Square Terminal, Dorogusker, Square’s head of hardware, told reporters that the portable terminal provides small- and medium-sized businesses with the ability to manage inventory, send invoices, record deposits, manage payment histories, and generate reports about their companies…The product eliminates the need for shopkeepers to deploy a slew of iPads, smartphones and tablets, to successfully operate their businesses.
Plus, TWTR stock is just a social media-based investment. In that space, Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) is king, and by a very wide margin.
Having said that, Twitter stock has some surprising catalysts that could help support shares in a recession. Here are three reasons why:
President Trump Loves Twitter
There’s an old saying that there’s no such thing as bad publicity and Twitter is testing that thesis. As we all know, President Trump loves using the social media platform. Perhaps it suits his personality. Perhaps because he’s a former reality TV star, he’s a master of the soundbite.
Of course, it’s difficult to quantify the impact the executive office has had on Twitter, and some experts have stated Trump imposes a negative influence on the company because of issues like bullying and harassment.
Still, I’m going to argue that overall, this administration has provided a net positive impact on Twitter stock. Primarily, every time Trump makes a groundbreaking announcement or posts a controversial statement, it’s almost always done through Twitter. When various media outlets report on the subject, the company gets free advertising.
Further, Twitter caters to a younger audience, ultimately helping the company’s revenue-generation efforts. Since late last year, social media has transitioned into the leading news source, besting newspapers. And Trump’s tweets of consciousness inspire other politicians to respond. In many ways, Twitter is a real-time, dynamic news source. That very well might benefit Twitter stock.