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Investing.com - Monness, Crespi, Hardt downgraded Coinbase Global Inc. (NASDAQ:COIN) from Buy to Neutral on Monday, citing concerns about valuation relative to real-world utility. The crypto exchange, currently trading at a P/E ratio of 67x and showing significant overvaluation according to InvestingPro metrics, has seen its stock surge over 57% year-to-date.
The research firm indicated it would consider revisiting Coinbase at a lower multiple comparable to legacy exchanges once real-world drivers and commercialization more significantly impact revenues and volume. While the company has demonstrated strong revenue growth of 76% in the last twelve months, InvestingPro analysis reveals 5 analysts have recently revised their earnings expectations downward for the upcoming period.
Monness Crespi acknowledged several positive developments for crypto adoption, including the signing of the GENIUS Act into law, Circle’s IPO and subsequent price increase, and the proposed CLARITY Act market structure bill.
Despite these milestones and significant crypto asset price appreciation, the firm noted that Base usage and transaction volume—their preferred metric for measuring real-world utility—has not yet shown exponential growth.
The firm expressed hesitation about tying Coinbase’s valuation to sentiment improvements, stating this would require significant increases in real-world volumes or accelerating crypto trading volumes, which it considers too speculative to confidently predict, especially as the crypto upcycle reaches its 31st month as measured by Bitcoin’s current uptrend.
In other recent news, Coinbase Global Inc. has seen several significant developments. Cantor Fitzgerald has raised its price target for Coinbase to $500 from $292, maintaining an Overweight rating, driven by stablecoin growth and a cryptocurrency market rally. The firm now projects Coinbase’s earnings per share to reach $10.76 in 2026, up from a previous estimate of $8.36. Piper Sandler also increased its price target for Coinbase to $350 from $190, citing a more positive outlook for digital assets and peer group multiple expansion. Erste Group initiated coverage on Coinbase with a Buy rating, highlighting its prominent position in the cryptocurrency trading sector. Additionally, PNC Bank has announced a strategic partnership with Coinbase to offer digital asset solutions to its clients, leveraging Coinbase’s Crypto-as-a-Service platform. This collaboration will enable PNC clients to buy, hold, and sell cryptocurrencies through the bank’s platform. These developments reflect a growing interest and optimism in Coinbase’s capabilities and market position.
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