Keep holding these three targets

Article Excerpt

The shares of these three stocks (including Match Group—see box) are down sharply in the past few years. That has attracted the attention of activist investors, who believe there are ways to boost those prices. However, we see better opportunities elsewhere. ETSY INC. $76 is a hold. The company (Nasdaq symbol ETSY; Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 119.8 million; Market cap: $9.1 billion; No dividend paid; Takeover Target Rating: Medium; www.etsy.com) operates an online marketplace that brings together buyers and sellers of unique and creative consumer goods. The stock shot up to almost $300 in November 2021 as the COVID-19 lockdowns spurred strong demand for online shopping. However, it dropped as stores re-opened. Etsy has also has problems with its plan to expand internationally. In July 2021, it paid $217 million to acquire Elo7, which operates an online platform for unique, handmade items in Brazil. However, the purchase didn’t work out as hoped, and Etsy sold Elo7 in August 2023 for a net loss of $2.6 million. The company’s…