• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Why did a $154 billion CEO just endorse stripping most Americans of voting rights—and taking us back to the 19th century?

2

A Nobel economist challenged Elon Musk to donate his entire $1T fortune by 2036. Musk's reply: 'I am actually going to do something along these lines'

3

The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'

1

Why did a $154 billion CEO just endorse stripping most Americans of voting rights—and taking us back to the 19th century?

2

A Nobel economist challenged Elon Musk to donate his entire $1T fortune by 2036. Musk's reply: 'I am actually going to do something along these lines'

3

The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'
FinanceSNAP

Snapchat’s Biggest Underwriter Says It Was ‘Wrong’ About Snap Stock

Lucinda Shen
By
Lucinda Shen
Lucinda Shen
Down Arrow Button Icon
Lucinda Shen
By
Lucinda Shen
Lucinda Shen
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 11, 2017, 2:28 PM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Snapchat has made it easier for users to find friends through its new maps feature, but the company itself is having trouble finding formerly friendly faces on Wall Street.

In trading Tuesday, Snap’s stock price plunged nearly 9% to as low as $15.50 after banking giant Morgan Stanley (MS) downgraded shares of the disappearing photo app company to the equivalent of “hold.” That deepened losses for investors who bought into Snap’s initial public offering back in March. Those investors had already lost money on their investment as of Monday when Snap’s stock dipped below its $17 IPO price for the first time ever.

Morgan Stanley’s downgrade is a particularly hard hit for the company as the bank was the lead underwriter for Snap’s IPO, guiding the company through the process and helping determine its initial stock price. Typically, such underwriters become cheerleaders of the company after it officially goes public, authoring “buy” or “hold” recommendations. And Morgan Stanley was no exception.

Following Snap’s IPO, Morgan Stanley gave Snap (SNAP) the equivalent of a “buy” rating and a 12-month target price of $28—one of the most bullish on Wall Street at the time.

But now, the bank has lowered its price target by 43% to $16 a share. That’s well below Snap’s IPO price. (By Tuesday afternoon, Snap stock had already fallen below Morgan Stanley’s target.)

So why the change of heart? According to the note, Morgan Stanley analysts led by Brian Nowak are now less convinced of Snap’s ability to grow. In fact, the analysts effectively refuted the main reasons why Snap’s biggest champions believed in the company at all: its apparent scalability and unique platform.

“We have been wrong about Snap’s ability to innovate and improve its ad product this year (improving scalability, targeting, measurability, etc.) and user monetization,” Nowak wrote. “Snap’s ad product is not evolving/improving as quickly as we expected and Instagram competition is increasing.”

Recently, Snap investors have grown increasingly wary of Facebook-owned Instagram. In late June, Facebook announced that its Instagram Stories feature, which competes with Snapchat, had reached 250 million daily active users—50% higher than the 166 million daily active user base Snap reported in May.

“We believe Instagram has become more aggressive in competing for Snap’s ad dollars,” Nowak wrote.

As a result, Morgan Stanley expects Snap to reach revenue of $897 million this year—far lower than the $1 billion it once expected. Moreover, Morgan Stanley expects the company to reach just 182 million active users by the end of this year.

The Morgan Stanley note also comes just a day after another of Snap’s IPO underwriters, Credit Suisse, lowered its target price on the company from $30 to $25, saying that Snap’s stock price could fall later this month when Snap’s lockup period begin to expire. That will allow many of Snap’s IPO backers and insiders to start selling their shares in the company.

Still, Snap has a chance to wow investors with stronger earnings figures. It’s possible the company is working behind closed doors on a project that could potentially unlock growth. As one user joked on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/jackdwagner/status/884490832094429184

That hot dog is in fact an augmented reality feature that recently hit Snapchat. It bobs, it dances, and it’s now an official meme.

Now if only the hot dog could sell ads for Snap.

About the Author
Lucinda Shen
By Lucinda Shen
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Finance

Photo of Trump
North AmericaDonald Trump
Netanyahu and Zelenskyy meet Trump at the White House as Washington honors Lindsey Graham
By The Associated PressJuly 28, 2026
4 hours ago
Coinbase and Robinhood are locked in a heated battle ahead of Q2 earnings—but only one is being called the industry’s ‘first hyperscaler’
CryptoRobinhood
Coinbase and Robinhood are locked in a heated battle ahead of Q2 earnings—but only one is being called the industry’s ‘first hyperscaler’
By Jeff John RobertsJuly 28, 2026
5 hours ago
Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on July 24, 2026 in New York.
Big TechWall Street
‘A lot of panic around the AI investment’: How a chip slump is driving the Nasdaq toward correction 
By Eva RoytburgJuly 28, 2026
5 hours ago
Stressed rich Gen Zer looks at laptop
SuccessCost of living
Despite making over $135K, 1 in 5 high earners feel ‘depressed’ when thinking about their finances—they may have ‘money dysmorphia’
By Emma BurleighJuly 28, 2026
9 hours ago
What is professional liability insurance and who needs it?
Personal FinanceInsurance
What is professional liability insurance and who needs it?
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 28, 2026
10 hours ago
Sad-looking young woman
EconomyGen Z
The brutal math behind Gen Z’s lonely weekends: $15 drinks are driving a generational ‘spending hangover’
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 28, 2026
11 hours ago

Most Popular

Why did a $154 billion CEO just endorse stripping most Americans of voting rights—and taking us back to the 19th century?
C-Suite
Why did a $154 billion CEO just endorse stripping most Americans of voting rights—and taking us back to the 19th century?
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 27, 2026
1 day ago
A Nobel economist challenged Elon Musk to donate his entire $1T fortune by 2036. Musk's reply: 'I am actually going to do something along these lines'
Success
A Nobel economist challenged Elon Musk to donate his entire $1T fortune by 2036. Musk's reply: 'I am actually going to do something along these lines'
By Sydney LakeJuly 27, 2026
1 day ago
The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'
Real Estate
The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 25, 2026
4 days ago
LeBron James took a pay cut to maybe live in New York and commute to Philly by chopper, risking double taxation as NYC also tries to ban helicopters
Real Estate
LeBron James took a pay cut to maybe live in New York and commute to Philly by chopper, risking double taxation as NYC also tries to ban helicopters
By Catherina GioinoJuly 27, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of July 28, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 28, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 28, 2026
14 hours ago
New York City women are making up to $30,000 per month by renting out their closets to strangers
Retail
New York City women are making up to $30,000 per month by renting out their closets to strangers
By Sarah GlodekJuly 27, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.