Morningstar Investor users sign in here.

Stocks

Twitter's Jack Dorsey quits: Morningstar view

Morningstar analyst Ali Mogharabi is positive about the new chief executive but is maintaining the fair value estimate for the social media giant.


Jack Dorsey, the co-founder and CEO of Twitter, resigned from his position on Monday, replaced by Parag Agrawal, the firm’s chief technology officer. In addition, Dorsey will leave the Board of the firm in May 2022 when his term expires.

Regarding the firm’s operations, Twitter (TWTR) did not make any changes to its guidance and long-term goals which the firm had shared with investors during its last earnings call. This announcement does not impact our view of no-moat Twitter and our Standard capital allocation rating of the firm. We are maintaining our $58 fair value estimate.

In our view, the firm will be better positioned to increase user monetisation and expand margins under Agrawal as Dorsey could not focus mainly on Twitter’s future when also leading the narrow-moat Square (SQ). Agrawal has demonstrated his devotion to Twitter as he joined the firm as an engineer in 2011 and was awarded the CTO position four years ago.

Agrawal is credited with helping the firm apply machine learning to enhance the platform, accelerate development of new products, and the return of solid user growth in 2016 and 2017. It remains to be seen whether Agrawal can help Twitter maintain the culture that Dorsey created – one that pushes for innovation, driven by openness on the platform for users and within the firm.

We are also a bit uncertain about how brands and their ad dollars will react to this decision in the long run. However, in a letter to Twitter employees, Dorsey said Agrawal was chosen to replace him “given how deeply he understands the company and its needs” and that “he leads with heart and soul.”

Twitter in detail

  • Twitter has no economic moat and is rated as a 3-star stock.
  • Its fair value is $58 per share.
  • Shares spiked 10% as the initial news came out on November 29, pushing them above $50, but they later closed down nearly 3% at $47. 
  • Twitter floated around eight years ago in November 2013, with an issue price of $26
  • Shares jumped on their first day of trading above $40. Despite some volatility along the way, shares are not that much higher than in 2013. Facebook/Meta shares are up 800% since the float in 2012.


© 2023 Morningstar, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither Morningstar, its affiliates, nor the content providers guarantee the data or content contained herein to be accurate, complete or timely nor will they have any liability for its use or distribution. This report has been prepared for clients of Morningstar Australasia Pty Ltd (ABN: 95 090 665 544, AFSL: 240892) and/or New Zealand wholesale clients of Morningstar Research Ltd, subsidiaries of Morningstar, Inc. Any general advice has been provided without reference to your financial objectives, situation or needs. For more information refer to our Financial Services Guide at www.morningstar.com.au/s/fsg.pdf. You should consider the advice in light of these matters and if applicable, the relevant Product Disclosure Statement before making any decision to invest. Our publications, ratings and products should be viewed as an additional investment resource, not as your sole source of information. Morningstar’s full research reports are the source of any Morningstar Ratings and are available from Morningstar or your adviser. Past performance does not necessarily indicate a financial product’s future performance. To obtain advice tailored to your situation, contact a financial adviser. Some material is copyright and published under licence from ASX Operations Pty Ltd ACN 004 523 782.

More from Morningstar

This five-star Aussie stock has a wide moat
Stocks

This five-star Aussie stock has a wide moat

Our analysts believe it can protect and grow its earnings for at least the next 20 years
Despite rally this A-REIT remains undervalued
Stocks

Despite rally this A-REIT remains undervalued

While attractive from a valuation standpoint we do not believe this A-REIT warrants a moat and is highly leveraged.
We advise waiting for a pullback before investing in the world's biggest company
Stocks

We advise waiting for a pullback before investing in the world's biggest company

We’ve raised our fair value estimate and sales forecast, but still see the stock as rich.
7 charts on the AI stock boom one year after ChatGPT’s launch
Stocks

7 charts on the AI stock boom one year after ChatGPT’s launch

These stocks and the key trends behind them are critical for understanding the AI investment landscape.
Why Berkshire Hathaway’s success will continue after Charlie Munger ... and Warren Buffett
Stocks

Why Berkshire Hathaway’s success will continue after Charlie Munger ... and Warren Buffett

Munger’s passing is a spiritual loss for the company.
Morningstar initiates coverage on 3 new shares
Stocks

Morningstar initiates coverage on 3 new shares

There are 2 undervalued names as part of our new coverage.