Is Twitter about to repeat Facebook's share-price bubble? Company is valued at $18billion as shares go on sale today for $26 each

Twitter shares begin trading today amid concerns the social media giant is heading for another Facebook-style bubble.
In the most hotly anticipated technology stock market listing since Facebook last year, Twitter will sell shares for up to $26 (£16), valuing the group at up to $18billion (£11.2billion).
The share price is above the range of $23 to $25 (£14.30 and £15.60) announced on Monday.
Data shows how much other major American technology shares have risen since flotation
Data shows how much other major American technology shares have risen since flotation
But it comes as one of Britain’s leading auditors said the group was over-valued. The company, which has more than 230million users, is also yet to make a profit since it was launched seven years ago.
‘I think we’re in bubble territory,’ said BDO’s valuations director Tomas Freyman, who has previously advised clients whether to buy into the group.
He warned that Twitter was being more highly rated than Apple, which is a ‘real business selling real products’.
Twitter's public debut is the most highly anticipated since that of Facebook, in May last year. But it has priced itself at a mere fraction of Facebook's initial $104 billion(£65bnillion) valuation, in a likely attempt to avoid Facebook's fate of taking more than a year to surpass its initial public offering price.
Twitter is offering 70million shares for sale, along with an option to buy another 10.5million.

 
Mark Mahaney, from investment bank RBC Capital Markets, said he expected Twitter's shares to rise after listing.
He told the BBC: 'Just as Google, Amazon and Facebook have become internet utilities, so too may Twitter.
'As a public, real-time, conversational and distributed platform, Twitter is becoming an essential service for consumers, businesses, media companies, and advertiser.'
One of the major challenges facing Twitter as a new public company will be to generate more revenue from outside America.
While more than 75 per cent of users are outside the US, just 26 per cent of its revenue comes from abroad.
The graphic above shows how much other major American technology shares have risen since flotation.
Amazon, which listed in 1997, will have turned a $1,000 investment into $239,045, while Google’s 2004 listing will have produced $12,072.
Shares in Facebook, which tanked within days of listing, have finally passed their float price and have turned $1,000 into $1,269.

MORE EXPENSIVE THAN FACEBOOK, BUT WILL TWITTER SHARES STILL TAKE OFF? HOW IT PLANS TO MAKE MONEY AND HOW TO INVEST

Brokers have been quick to point out that Twitter, unlike Facebook or Google, is yet to have made a profit, writes Simon Lambert.
It made a loss of $69m in the first six months of 2013, after reporting revenue of $254m. In contrast, Facebook racked up $205m in profits in the three months to the end of March 2012, just before its float and $1bn in 2011.
After the first rise in the target share price Twitter was valued at more than 11.8 times 2014 estimated sales, while Facebook floated at 11.4 times, according to a Bloomberg report. The move up to $26 will push this even higher.
Twitter's plan to make money revolves around advertising to its huge number of users. But while Twitter has a direct line to their attention on computer screens, mobiles and tablets, it needs to balance promotions and the opportunity for targeting them with fears over invasion of privacy and intrusion.
This kind of advertising on social media is still in its infancy and analysts suggest companies will give over increasing amounts of their budgets to it - helping to drive revenue for Twitter.
Twitter can also make its data available for companies to analyse to pick up trends and sell on to other businesses. This is highly valuable information that companies can try and use to jump on emerging trends, test new products and ideas, or simply see what people are doing.
UK investors can buy shares once they start trading on the open market through their platform or broker, but double check their fees as these can range from standard share-dealing charges to £50.
Essential reading: Twitter may have helped overthrow governments, but is it worth investing in - and how do you buy shares?


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