Investors who have owned stocks in the last year have generally experienced some big gains. In fact, the SPDR S&P 500 SPY total return over the last 12 months is 55.9%. But there is no question some big-name stocks performed better than others along the way.
Snap’s Run: One company that has been an excellent investment in the last year has been social media giant Snap Inc SNAP.
Snapchat's stock got off to a lackluster start on the public markets after a highly anticipated IPO back in 2017. After pricing its IPO at $17, Snap shares were trading as low as $4.82 in December 2018.
Fortunately for Snap investors, the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 was actually very good for Snap’s business. While other companies were dealing with economic shutdowns, people around the world who were sheltering in place had little to do for entertainment and social interactions other than social media.
In 2019 Snap reported a 75-cent EPS loss on $1.71 billion in revenue. In 2020, those numbers improved to a 65-cent EPS loss on $2.5 billion in revenue.
See also: How to Buy Snapchat Stock
At the beginning of 2020, Snap shares were trading at around $16.62. By the beginning of March, the stock was down to $14.35 as news of COVID-19 spreading in China prompted concerns about a U.S. pandemic.
Snap bottomed at $7.89 during the pandemic-driven March sell-off. Fortunately for Snap investors, the dip didn't last long.
By the end of May, Snap shares were back at new 52-week highs near $20, and the stock got as high as $26.76 in July prior to an extended consolidation period. In October, Snap shares jumped more than 30% to new all-time highs after the company reported blowout subscriber growth in the third quarter.
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Snap In 2021, Beyond: Snap ultimately made it as high as $73.59 in February 2021 before pulling back to around $59. Traders may be taking profits in the stock, which has been one of the top market performers of the past year. They may be concerned that Snap has still not reported a profitable quarter, even as its subscriber numbers boomed during the pandemic. Or they may simply see 2020 pandemic comps setting Snap up for some lackluster growth numbers in coming quarters.
Still, Snap investors who bought one year ago and held on have generated a big return on their investment. In fact, $1,000 in Snap stock bought on May 3, 2020, would be worth about $3,682 today.
Looking ahead, analysts are expecting more upside for Snap in the next 12 months. The average price target among the 34 analysts covering the stock is $79, suggesting 33.6% upside from current levels.
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