SOCIAL
META, SNAP, or BILI: Which Social Media Stock Earns Wall Street’s “Strong Buy” Rating?

Social media stocks have been in focus of late as they are expected to benefit from the potential ban on TikTok by the Biden Administration. Rising competition from TikTok, Apple’s (AAPL) iOS privacy update, and the impact of macro pressures on ad spending had a major impact on social media companies last year. Using TipRanks’s Stock Comparison Tool, we placed Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META), SNAP (NYSE:SNAP), and Bilibili (NASDAQ:BILI) against each other to pick the stock that scores Wall Street’s Strong Buy consensus rating despite near-term pressures.
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META)
Meta impressed investors with better-than-anticipated fourth-quarter revenue. Nonetheless, weak ad spending continues to weigh on the company’s top line, which declined for the third consecutive quarter.
Meta is taking several measures to bring down costs and streamline its business to improve its profitability. The company recently announced that it will reduce its employee count by 10,000 and close about 5,000 additional roles that it hasn’t filled yet. The new round of job cuts follows more than 11,000 layoffs announced in November 2022.
Meta calls 2023 the “Year of Efficiency” and now expects its full-year expenses in the range of $86 to $92 billion, down from the prior estimate of $89 to $95 billion.
Is META stock a Good Buy?
Several analysts raised their price targets following Meta’s announcement of further job cuts. Stifel analyst Mark Kelley raised his price target for Meta Platforms to $230 from $210 and reiterated a Buy rating. That said, Kelley marginally lowered his revenue growth estimates as he anticipates some level of disruption given that a major portion of the job cuts are expected in April and May.
Overall, Wall Street’s Moderate Buy consensus rating is based on 36 Buys, six Holds, and three Sells. The average META stock price target of $224.88 suggests nearly 15% upside. Shares have jumped over 63% so far in 2023.

Snap (NYSE:SNAP)
Snap faced multiple headwinds last year but managed to deliver revenue growth of 12%. The company cautioned investors that it expects continued weakness in Q1 2023, with revenue projected to decline by 2% to 10% year-over-year.
At the recently held Investor Day, management discussed several themes, including augmented reality. The company is optimistic about its long-term potential and stated that at its current growth rate, it could reach over 1 billion people in the next two to three years.
It’s worth noting that Snap recently launched My AI, a new OpenAI-powered chatbot for its Snapchat+ subscribers. The new chatbot is created on the latest version of OpenAI’s GPT technology. The buzz created by OpenAI’s ChatGPT tool has made several tech giants accelerate their initiatives in the AI space.
Is Snap a Buy, Sell, or Hold?
Following the Investor Day, Truist Financial analyst Youssef Squali stated that he “walked away from Snap’s Investor Day cautiously optimistic.” The analyst noted that the company mentioned several product and monetization initiatives to revive growth supported by an expanding user base that now stands at over 750 million monthly active users.
That said, Squali prefers to remain on the sidelines, as Snap navigates current headwinds and until he starts seeing the company’s initiatives “translate into ad revenue growth again,” which he doesn’t expect until the second half of 2023.
With four Buys, 16 Holds, and three Sells, Wall Street has a Hold consensus rating for Snap stock. The average Snap stock price target of $10.63 suggests the stock could be range-bound over the near term. Shares have advanced over 19% year-to-date.

Bilibili (NASDAQ:BILI)
China-based Bilibili is one of the leading video streaming and sharing platforms in the country. The company markets itself as the online home for Gen-Z fans of anime, comics and games.
Earlier this month, the company announced its fourth-quarter results. Revenue grew 6% to RMB 6.1 billion ($890.6 million). Higher revenue from value-added services helped in offsetting the impact of lower ad revenue and a decline in revenue from mobile games due to the lack of new game launches in the quarter. Meanwhile, better cost controls helped Bilibili in narrowing its net loss by 29% to RMB1.5 billion ($217.1 million).
Bilibili ended the fourth quarter with 326 average monthly active users, reflecting a 20% year-over-year rise.
What is the Price Target for Bilibili Stock?
Earlier this month, Citigroup analyst Brian Gong upgraded Bilibili to Buy from Hold and kept the price target unchanged at $28. Gong expects the company’s Q1 2023 revenue to be roughly flat year-over-year, but projects growth to pick up from the second quarter, driven by new game launches and re-acceleration of value-added services.
Wall Street’s Strong Buy consensus rating for Bilibili is based on three Buys and one Hold. The average BILI stock price target of $27.60 indicates 24.4% upside. Shares are down 6% since the start of this year.

Conclusion
Social media companies might remain under pressure over the near team due to the impact of macro challenges on ad spending. Analysts are very bullish about Bilibili and see higher upside potential in the stock from current levels based on narrowing losses and improvement in the top line as the year progresses.
SOCIAL
France has approved a law that targets influencers. What does it mean for social media stars?

The wording of the new law was approved by French lawmakers across the political spectrum and could mean jail time or stiff fines.
The French Parliament adopted a bipartisan bill on Thursday to regulate social media influencers’ activities in a bid to curb the promotion of dangerous products and trends.
After lawmakers in the National Assembly voted in favour of it on Wednesday, 342 senators from across the political spectrum voted to pass the bill introduced by socialist MP Arthur Delaporte and Stéphane Vojetta, an MP from President Emmanuel Macron’s Renaissance.
“We can be proud of this unprecedented agreement,” said rapporteur Amel Gacquerre, the senator tasked with presenting the bill in the upper chamber.
Speaking after the vote, Olivia Grégoire, Junior Minister for Commerce, hailed the “commitment of the parliamentarians” and “the quality of this work”.
There are an estimated 150,000 influencers in France, but the actions of some of them have put influencer marketing in line with increasing criticism.
‘Influvoleurs’
Plaintiffs have launched collective actions and a scathing report has been published by the French Fraud Prevention Directorate (DGCCRF).
More surprisingly, the French rapper Booba has been on a digital crusade against those whom he nicknamed “influ-thieves” – “influvoleurs” in French – amplifying the issue through his campaigning on social media.
From the promotion of dangerous products to accusations of fraud, there have been growing calls for the market to be regulated.
Since Wednesday, influencers Illan Castronovo and Simon Castaldi have been ordered to display a message from the DGCCRF on social media warning against some of their content.
Many influencers have a modest audience, but some celebrities with millions of followers can influence consumption behaviors, especially among young people.
“Influencers will continue to operate. The ‘influ-thieves’ will always exist but will know that the law is there to punish them”, Delaporte said.
The text “will protect consumers, especially the younger ones,” added Vojetta.
What does the law change for influencers?
The text proposes to legally define influencers as “individuals or legal entities who, for a fee, mobilise their notoriety with their audience” to promote goods and services online.
It prohibits the promotion of certain practices – such as cosmetic surgery and therapeutic abstention – and prohibits or heavily regulates the promotion of several medical devices.
It also bans the promotion of products containing nicotine.
It tackles sports betting and gambling: influencers will no longer be able to promote subscriptions to sports forecasts, and the promotion of money games will be limited to platforms that technically restrict access to minors.
The penalties for non-compliance can go up to two years in prison and a fine of €300,000.
The law also bans staged scenes with animals whose ownership is prohibited.
Promotional images – of cosmetics, for example – must disclose whether they have been retouched or use a filter making them more attractive.
Several senators have emphasised the need to strengthen the resources of regulatory authorities in the future, including those of the DGCCRF and the Financial Markets Authority.
“There are many sheriffs and they must have the means to work properly,” Gacquerre said. This comes after the economy minister, Bruno Le Maire, warned last month that the sector “could not be the Wild West”.
Who else does it affect?
Influencers’ agents will also be regulated. A written contract will be mandatory when the amounts involved exceed a certain threshold. The text also includes measures to hold platforms accountable.
While many successful influencers operate from abroad, such as in Dubai, the text aims to require those operating from outside the European Union, Switzerland, or the European Economic Area to take out civil liability insurance within the EU.
The stated goal is to create a fund to compensate potential victims. They will also have to designate a legal representative in the EU.
In late March, the Union of Influence Professions and Content Creators (Umicc), which recently began representing agencies in the sector, praised “commendable and essential proposals”.
However, they warned lawmakers about the risk of “discriminating or over-regulating” certain actors.
SOCIAL
TikTok Outlines Programming for Indigenous History Month

TikTok has announced a new slate of programming for National Indigenous History Month, which will see the platform highlight a range of Indigenous creators and businesses through various surfaces in the app.
First off, TikTok’s launching its first-ever Indigenous TikTok ‘Visionary Voices’ List, featuring a range of creators and businesses that are making a positive impact, both on and off TikTok.
TikTok will showcase the chosen creators in a dedicated #IndigenousTikTok content hub, which will include various elements throughout the month.
As per TikTok:
“From performers, powwow dancers and artists to makers, style icons, oral storytellers and writers, the Indigenous community on TikTok share their rich culture and traditions across our global platform – and we are committed to amplifying their contributions. Throughout June, our #IndigenousTikTok in-app programming hub will spotlight creators and organizations that demonstrate the rich cultural heritage, creativity, impact and ongoing activism of the community.”
TikTok has become an important cultural hub, helping to spark new trends and movements, which is why it’s important for the app to focus on specific communities, and help showcase their culture, as a means to broaden understanding and learning.
The more that we understand about the origins and history of each element, the better we can all engage in such events, and it’s good to see TikTok continuing to find ways to highlight such in the app.
You can learn more about TikTok’s Indigenous History Month programming here.
SOCIAL
Take Your Social Media Earning Potential Sky-High With This $79.97 Quadcopter

Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.
By recent projections outlined by Oberlo, the social media commerce market is expected to reach $2.9 trillion by 2026. If you want to grow your e-commerce business using social media, it may be important to show off your products from new angles and advertise the positive work culture with fun team get-togethers that capture the spirit of the Father’s Day season. It could even make a great gift for Dad if he’s into taking great photos or flying a remote-controlled gadget.
A beginner-friendly drone that may be a wise investment at this stage is the Global Drone 4K Platinum Version for $79.97 (reg. $119) until June 11.
Grow your social media business with the help of a drone.
Whether you want a new angle on one of your products or an action shot of a job well done, this drone could be the way you do it. The Global Drone comes with a 4K HD Camera you can use to get a live view from above streamed directly to your phone. Snap photos or record videos as you zip, flip, and roll through the air.
If your business is running a company event outside, make sure to snap a few sky-high photos for your social media. You could even fly your drone from the comfort of a shady tent during a Father’s Day picnic. Activate altitude hold mode if you want a steady shot from above.
The Global Drone is beginner-friendly and has simple controls, so you (nor your dad) don’t need to be an expert to use it. Just charge the 1,800mAh battery and hit the button for one-key take off. Once you’re airborne, you can use the controller or your phone to direct your flight. If you want to increase your speed, just switch to a quicker flight mode. Once it’s time to land, hit the one-key landing button and fold your drone for storage.
Invest in a drone for your business or gift one to Dad.
Whether you want to increase your potential posts on social media or give your dad a great new hobby, then the sky’s the limit when you have a quadcopter.
During the Father’s Day sale until June 11 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific, get the Global Drone 4K Platinum Version on sale for $79.97 (reg. $119). No coupon code required.
Prices subject to change.
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