What Happened?
Shares of internet service provider Cogent Communications (NASDAQ: CCOI) fell 3.7% in the afternoon session after Goldman Sachs initiated coverage on the stock with a Neutral rating. The investment bank set a price target of $40.00 for the telecommunications company. While initiating coverage can bring new attention to a stock, a "Neutral" rating is not a strong endorsement and suggests the analyst does not see significant upside from the current price in the near term. This comes as the stock has already declined over 44% in the past six months. Goldman Sachs noted that while Cogent is making a strategic pivot toward growth following its acquisition of Sprint's wireline business, some of its long-term opportunities may take longer to materialize than the market currently expects.
The stock market overreacts to news, and big price drops can present good opportunities to buy high-quality stocks. Is now the time to buy Cogent? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.
What Is The Market Telling Us
Cogent’s shares are somewhat volatile and have had 14 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today’s move indicates the market considers this news meaningful but not something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business.
The previous big move we wrote about was 11 days ago when the stock gained 3.5% on the news that the major indices rebounded, as Fed Chair Jerome Powell delivered dovish remarks at the much-awaited Jackson Hole symposium. Powell suggested that with inflation risks moderating and unemployment remaining low, the Federal Reserve might consider a shift in its monetary policy stance, including potential interest rate cuts. This outlook eased market concerns about prolonged high interest rates and their impact on economic growth. The prospect of lower borrowing costs bolstered investor confidence, particularly in sectors that have lagged, leading to a broad rally across the market.
Cogent is down 52.3% since the beginning of the year, and at $36.74 per share, it is trading 57% below its 52-week high of $85.35 from November 2024. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of Cogent’s shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $533.81.
Do you want to know what moves the business you care about? Add them to your StockStory watchlist and every time a stock significantly moves, we provide you with a timely explanation straight to your inbox. It’s free and will only take you a second.
