Buy Facebook (FB) Stock Amid Cryptocurrency Craze?

Facebook FB announced today plans for a new cryptocurrency project called Libra. The much-anticipated news was welcomed by eager Wall Street analysts who are raving about where this new venture can take Facebook in the future. Some analysts have even gone so far as to state that Facebook’s new cryptocurrency initiative can become a worldwide currency. Tally CEO Jason Brown stated “It literally threatens the governments that issue currency, the banks that store it and the actual transmission network,” eagerly expressing the potential he sees in the project. Brown believes that Libra will be met with slow adoptions in its initial 2020 release for everyday expenses, such as paying bills but he thinks it will quickly become the most popular way to get money out of first world countries.

Facebook has also created a corporate organization called the Libra Foundation, which was formed to help the currency gain traction. Facebook itself is a member, as well as Visa V, PayPal PYPL, eBay EBAY, Lyft LYFT, Uber UBER, and many others.

Despite the current craze over Facebook’s newest project, the company’s looming user privacy issues are still a concern. Libra requires users’ trust in Facebook, and if the social media giant wants to ensure their project’s success, then they must figure out a way to earn back their user’s trust.

The unveiling of Libra comes at a time when Facebook is currently facing public and federal scrutiny for their user privacy policies. David Marcus, a Facebook executive, assured the public that consumers don’t need to worry about the social media company gaining access to their financial data. Marcus went on to state that Facebook needs to “make big commitments on privacy” establishing the stance Facebook must take in order to have project Libra take off.

Facebook is currently sitting at a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and is being traded at 26X its forward earnings with a PEG ratio of 1.32. Its lower than average PEG ratio indicates that investors would be paying less for the potential growth in Facebook than it would with other stocks in the industry. Furthermore, Facebook currently has a 3.75% earnings yield, further establishing the stock’s solid valuation. According to Zacks Estimates, Facebook has projected sales growth of 23.97% for this fiscal year, but earnings could see a decline year-over-year. In addition, Facebook has been able to maintain its stronghold in the industry this year, outperforming other tech industry giants on a year-to-date basis.

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