The analyst downgraded HOOD to "sell"
Digital brokerage Robinhood Markets Inc (NASDAQ:HOOD) is pacing for even more losses today, down 6% at $11.35 in premarket trading, after Goldman Sachs downgraded the equity to "sell" from "neutral." The brokerage also cut its price target to $13 from $15, noting that the app's user growth has "remained depressed." Goldman Sachs also expressed concern over its weak retail engagement levels and account growth, among other factors.
Goldman Sachs isn't alone in its newly found sentiment. The stock was a magnet for bear notes following its late-January earnings report, and just yesterday, Deutsche Bank cut its price target to $11 from $14. Still, there's room for further downward adjustments from the brokerage bunch. Of the 11 in coverage, five called HOOD a "strong buy" coming into today, while six said "hold" or worse. Plus, the 12-month consensus price target of $17 is a 47.6% premium to current levels.
Digging deeper, the equity did see a more than 24% pop in late March after unveiling its plans to extend its trading to 24 hours a day. This surge was short lived, however, as it ran out of steam at the 90-day moving average. Now, HOOD is traveling dangerously close to its Feb. 24 low of $9.93 as it adds to its 32% year-to-date deficit.
Short sellers are targeting the equity during its selloff, with short interest rising 15.4% in the last reporting period. Now, the 59.27 million shares sold short make up 8.2% of the stock's available float, or a little under three days' worth of pent-up buying power.