We Built This Citi On … Coinbase?
Coinbase Global (Nasdaq: COIN) is knee-deep in the hoopla once again. And cryptocurrency naysayers are sinking in their fight.
Bright and early this morning, Citi joined the bullish side of the Coinbase equation, initiating COIN stock with a “buy/high-risk” rating and a $415 price target.
For those of you unfamiliar with Coinbase — shame on you, by the way — the company offers infrastructure and technology for the cryptocurrency market. More specifically, Coinbase is the second-largest crypto exchange in the world.
It has more than 6.1 million monthly active users and handles roughly 56 million clients worldwide at more than 1,700 institutions. In 2020, more than $195 billion in crypto transactions changed hands on Coinbase’s crypto exchange.
The company will store your crypto coins for you at no charge, but it does charge fees when you buy, sell or convert cryptocurrencies … which is how Coinbase makes bank.
And that’s where Citi’s buy recommendation comes in. According to Citi, Coinbase “offers investors direct exposure to increased retail and institutional adoption” of cryptocurrencies.
Furthermore, Citi believes that increased regulation will work in Coinbase’s favor. Let’s face it: We all know more crypto regulation is coming … it’s just a matter of when.
After all, someone’s always playing cryptocurrency games. Who cares, they’re always changing cryptocurrency names. We just want to trade here. Someone stole the stage. They call crypto traders irresponsible — write us off the page.
Starship? Really? So, when does Marconi play the mamba? Do I have to listen to the radio?
Don’t you remember … just how controversial that song was? People fought for months over who actually “built this city.” It was almost as ridiculous as the cryptocurrency fight going on right now.
But Citi isn’t worried. According to the U.S. bank, Coinbase’s early acceptance of regulatory compliance is a good thing:
Yes, I know that one of crypto’s biggest appeals is its lack of regulation … the lack of centralized control. But a little control can be a good thing … such as more secure rules and regulations for storing cryptocurrencies. Anyone who’s had crypto wallet troubles would agree with me there, right?
We just don’t want the Fed or any other central bank taking over. That defeats the purpose of a decentralized currency.
Still, Citi did have a warning for COIN stock bulls … hence the “high-risk” designation. So, what’s Citi’s issue with Coinbase? Ironically, it’s crypto.
Citi says that Coinbase’s biggest risk stems from exposure to the cryptocurrency market. Yeah. That made my head hurt too. Here’s how I imagine a conversation with the Citi analyst would go:
Citi: Because cryptos rock, yo!
Great Stuff: I like cryptos too, my man! Do you have any concerns about Coinbase?
Citi: Umm … cryptos?
Great Stuff: Of course … wait, what?!
Unfortunately for COIN stock bulls, Citi’s bullish note didn’t sway anyone on Wall Street. The stock bounced around breakeven all day and didn’t make any headway. That said, one thing is true about Coinbase and COIN stock … the more acceptance cryptocurrencies gain, the bigger this company is going to get.
This Is Your Last Chance!
Tonight at 8 p.m. Eastern time, for the first time ever, I’m climbing out of Great Stuff headquarters — deep in the boonies of Kentucky — to sit down with market expert Keith Kaplan, CEO of TradeSmith.
We’ll show you firsthand details on what could become one of the biggest moneymaking events in the market — ever!
And best of all, this event is FREE to attend! What’s more, as a Great One, your reservation is guaranteed!
This is your last chance to claim your reservation! Click here now to register!
We all know that Amazon.com’s (Nasdaq: AMZN) always been in the spy game. After all, those Alexa devices scattered around the house are really adept at listening to our conversations.
But according to the Financial Times, the king of retail has been aiding and abetting in a very different kind of espionage lately.
See, Amazon apparently signed a deal with U.K. spy agencies earlier this year that allows the famed MI5 and MI6 divisions to use Amazon Web Services to “crunch data” with AI tech.
Amazon isn’t supposed to have access to any of the bureau’s intelligence work, but when you consider that this information was never supposed to go public in the first place … how can we be so sure? Maybe the U.K. has a double agent in its midst, or maybe Amazon just isn’t cut out to lead a life of danger…
Speaking of Amazon, have y’all heard about the Orbital Reef that Blue Origin wants to build with the help of Boeing (NYSE: BA) and friends? It’s basically a commercially operated space station designed to be a “business park in space.”
Umm … have you seen business parks on Earth?
Give it a few years, and the Orbital Reef will be outfitted with a Little Caesar’s and an H&R Block, complete with a Dollar General orbiting the whole facility. Why would we want that in space when we’ve got a bazillion of those outfits down here?
United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS) rallied more than 7% this morning after reporting quarterly earnings of $2.71 per share, a whole $0.16 higher than analysts’ expectations. Meanwhile, revenue rose 9.2% from the year prior to $23.3 billion.
That’s all fine and dandy, except when you realize that UPS has been making more money while shipping fewer packages … and the only reason it’s staying afloat is that it’s hiking shipping costs across the board.
And let’s not forget about all those labor shortages plaguing the courier commander, which will affect UPS’s shipping volume heading into the holiday shopping season. You know, the busiest — and most lucrative — time of the year.
Not that UPS was deterred, mind you. The company raised its full-year operating profit target from 12.7% to 13% … which is nice if you’re a “cup half full” kinda person.
It’s the week of buyout breakups — first PayPal with its total ghosting of Pinterest, and now DraftKings (Nasdaq: DKNG) comes along with its own tie-up tear-down.
DraftKings previously bid $20 billion in stock and cash for U.K.-based betting company Entain, but as of today, DraftKings is walking away … leaving Entain at the drive-thru altar.
Hmm, did this have anything to do with MGM Resorts’ (NYSE: MGM) ties to Entain? Uhh … yeah! MGM is still trying to get its edge in this brave new digital betting world with BetMGM, which is tied to Entain. And before DraftKings entered the bizarre love triangle, MGM had bid a wimpy $11 billion to buy out Entain entirely.
It’s like MGM finally realized you could make money online, where you don’t have to … you know … literally be seated in a Vegas casino to gamble? Then a better suitor crops ups (DraftKings), throwing its chips down on the table, and MGM decided there was absolutely no way this deal was going through.
Entain is a big part of its digital foothold, so MGM dropped a “statement in late September, saying that any deal would require its consent.” Methinks DraftKings read the room and quickly bowed out.
DKNG investors frankly don’t care if DraftKings picks up Entain or not … the stock was up as much as 7% on the news. I mean, hey, that’s $20 billion in new podcast sponsorships freed up right there!
Normally I wouldn’t toot my own horn this hard — are we still doing “phrasing?” — but seeing as you have mere hours to get yourself over to The Final Run Up, here we are!
At long last, the day you’ve been waiting for has arrived … even if you didn’t know you were waiting for it.
What’s all this out-of-character hullabaloo, Great Stuff? And why must you keep making up words?
Oh c’mon, this ain’t new! You’ve heard me mention The Final Run Up for nigh on a week now … and we’re only just getting started. Considering this may just be the biggest moneymaking event of your investing career, we’ll be talking about it for a fair while. It’s that important.
So important that I’m hitting you over the head with one last shameless plug — just to make sure you and your portfolio are prepped and game-ready for The Final Run Up.
Review with me, class! What are the two major market events approaching as we speak … err … type? Two huge happenings that loom on all investors’ horizons? (All right, you get brownie points for saying Halloween and Devil’s Night, but that’s not quite right here.)
We’re talking about a market crash unlike no sugar crash you’ve ever had before — not even from the infamous night of a hundred Pixie Sticks.
The signs are all there, we’ve said as much over these here virtual pages: supply chain risks, the Great Resignation, soaring asset prices, strange rumblings in China … oh, and that pandemic thing. Can’t forget that one.
It’s a boiling, toiling cauldron of trouble — and make it double. Get outta here, Team Rocket!
But don’t freak out, Great Stuff didn’t suddenly turn perma bear. You know that we’re opportunistic realists over here … and cautious optimists at heart.
That’s why, before the bottom drops out, before everything is torn to shreds — to shreds you say? — we are juicing the other major market event for all it’s worth — The Final Run Up.
Like I told you this past Saturday:
The current stock market rally isn’t over. Investor sentiment — you know, investor fee-fees — are going to drive one last hurrah! One last dance … one last chance for romance before Wall Street ghosts and leaves everyone who’s not prepared holding the bag.
This run-up — The Final Run Up, if you will — is going to send stocks to new, never-before-seen all-time highs. Stubborn market bulls will buy every dip and throw everything but the kitchen sink at squeezing the last little bits of profits and gains out of Wall Street.
By combining The Final Run Up and the crash-flash sale buying opportunities that follow … these two absolutely critical market events could potentially set yourself up for life!
And that’s what’s up for discussion tonight at 8 p.m. Eastern time, aka Kentucky time if you’re cool enough.
Yes, that’s literally a few hours from now. So, make sure you’re registered for The Final Run Up!
Drop everything you’re doing, set your watch and get the snacks ready. (Grab the Cheez-Its for me, won’t ya?) Settle in for tonight’s show like the VIP you are … and we’ll see you there!
And after you tune in, tell me what you think!
GreatStuffToday@BanyanHill.com is where you can sound off and let your words fly like the wind. Share your stock-slinging stories, or hit us with any investing questions on your mind. We’d love to hear from you!
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Until next time, stay Great!
Joseph Hargett
Editor, Great Stuff