Twitter Faces Core Business Challenges, Acquisition Unlikely, Pacific Crest Analysts Say

Shares of Twitter Inc. were up 1% in premarket trade Friday after Pacific Crest analysts resumed coverage of the stock at sector weight and a price target of $14. The analysts say Twitter continues to have core business challenges such as a difficult to use platform and that there does not seem to be a simple solution to this "which suggests further stagnation is likely." The analysts say Twitter's focus on video could renew growth and focus on the real-time strengths of the platform, but Twitter would be up against a lot of competition. An acquisition of Twitter is unlikely in the near-term, they say, due to recent executive departures and a suggestion of an internal turnaround. Shares of Twitter have fallen 1% in the past three months, compared to the S&P 500's gain of 6%.