Investing
9 Stocks That Show Their Companies Are in Deep Trouble
January 8, 2019 4:35 am
Last Updated: January 31, 2020 2:24 am
Blue Apron Holdings Inc. (NYSE: APRN) finally reached penny stock status in December, after its initial public offering in the summer of 2017. The food subscription service has been plagued by poor earnings and insufficient growth. This service was thought to be trendy back in 2016 and 2017, but not much has really come from it, and it seems to be just a passing fad. However, a recent deal with Weight Watchers has given this company some life. While Blue Apron could live on, it’s more likely that it would be through an acquisition, and even then for pennies on the dollar compared to when it came public. Shares of Blue Apron recently traded at $0.96 apiece. The 52-week range is $0.65 to $4.20. In the past year, the stock is down 76%.
Weatherford International PLC (NYSE: WFT) was easily a $4 stock back in January of last year, but since then it has dropped to around $0.50, a loss of roughly 87%. Keep in mind that Weatherford is easily one of the most shorted stocks traded on the New York Stock Exchange. So what’s caused this stock to reach so low and why are so many betting against it? This is one of the largest multinational oilfield service companies, and it primarily serves the offshore market, which can be incredibly competitive. Not to mention there hasn’t been enough new drilling for Weatherford to be viable. Recent falling oil prices haven’t helped much either. Shares of Weatherford were last seen at $0.53, in a 52-week range of $0.22 to $4.41.
General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) is the poster child for this list of companies in deep trouble. This once great firm is facing some tough choices about how to break itself up, most likely with the health care segment spun off, among others. If the health care spin-off is accomplished, the company will be left with an underperforming power business, a thriving aviation business and a struggling renewable energy segment, plus a few other bits and pieces of its former empire. The stock is down about 55% in the past 52 weeks, which would imply a loss of over $91 billion in market cap from this time last year. The kicker is that GE was delisted from the Dow Jones industrial average back in June. Shares of GE traded at $8.67, in a 52-week range of $6.66 to $19.39.
Zynga Inc. (NASDAQ: ZNGA) consistently has been one of the most shorted stocks on the Nasdaq in recent memory. With so many people betting against this video game company, it makes sense that Zynga would be facing some issues. The video game producer has seen inconsistent earnings over the past year and has been forced into M&A to stop the bleeding from its games dropping in popularity. Candy Crush was hugely popular once upon a time and could easily fund the $4 billion firm, but with gamers turning to different games, like Fortnite, it could be a rocky road ahead for Zynga. Shares of Zynga were trading at $4.14, in a 52-week range of $3.20 to $4.57.
PG&E Corp. (NYSE: PCG) is under fire from concerns over a potential bankruptcy. On November 8, shares of PG&E closed near $49. A week later they closed at just over $17. What happened in between may lead the largest gas and electric utility in northern California to file for bankruptcy protection. The company is considering making the filing as a result of devastating and deadly forest fires in 2017 and 2018 that could cost the utility billions in liabilities. Shares of PG&E traded at $18.93 on Monday, in a 52-week range of $17.26 to $49.42. In the past year, the stock is down 44%.
Sponsored: Find a Qualified Financial Advisor
Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to 3 fiduciary financial advisors in your area in 5 minutes. Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests. If you’re ready to be matched with local advisors that can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.