Morgan Stanley Raises Coinbase Stock Price Target to $258 Before Earnings

Morgan Stanley has raised its Coinbase stock price target from $250 to $258 ahead of the company’s next earnings report. The bank kept its Equal Weight rating, suggesting a cautious view despite seeing about 50% upside from the previous close.

The update follows Wall Street’s weighing of Coinbase’s weaker results recently with its expansion into new crypto products.

Morgan Stanley Raises Coinbase Stock Target to $258

Morgan Stanley’s higher target arrives as several brokerages reassess Coinbase following a difficult period for financial and digital asset stocks. With interest rate and broader market uncertainty, valuations have been under pressure despite companies’ preparation to release their third-quarter results.

Citizens JMP also revised its Coinbase forecast on Friday, reducing its prediction from $325 to $280. However, the firm maintained a Market Outperform rating, showing that expectations remain positive despite the lower valuation.

Despite generally good second-quarter earnings, Citizens reported that financial technology and digital asset stocks lagged behind the S&P 500. The firm also cited over $10 billion of financial-services ETF outflows as a further cause of stress.

The adjustments make Morgan Stanley less bullish than Citizens, but both firms remain bullish about the stock above its previous closing price. Now the spotlight shifts to earnings as the latest financial results revealed several areas where Coinbase’s performance needs to improve.

Coinbase Earnings Put Revenue Growth in Focus

In the last quarter, Coinbase’s revenue fell short of analyst estimates at $1.22 billion, compared to the projected $1.29 billion. Revenue also declined by 18.5%, compared to the previous year, due to sluggish trading conditions.

The adjusted losses were also larger than forecast, at $1.36 per share, compared to analysts’ expectations of a loss of $0.44 per share. Now analysts are predicting that Coinbase will post a full-year loss, so the next earnings report could be crucial for current forecasts.

In that backdrop, Coinbase started expanding its business beyond traditional spot trading. The company has expanded its crypto derivatives operations, while stablecoin services provide another potential source of revenue.

These businesses could reduce Coinbase’s reliance on transaction fees when spot cryptocurrency activity slows. However, the next report will show how much newer services are contributing as trading conditions change.

Wall Street Remains Divided on Coinbase Stock

Like Morgan Stanley, Baird has also recently increased its Coinbase stock target from $130 to $205 while keeping a Neutral rating. Barclays raised its target from $95 to $149 but maintained an Underweight recommendation.

Wells Fargo also started coverage with an Equal Weight rating and a $200 target, while Argus maintained its Hold rating. Across analysts, Coinbase carries an average Hold rating and a $224.29 price target.

The company’s expansion continues as those analysts reassess future revenue. As we reported, Coinbase has added new crypto trading products while developing stablecoin and derivatives offerings alongside its core exchange.

However, regulatory issues remain part of that expansion. Michigan recently moved to stop Coinbase from offering sports prediction markets in the state, creating another issue for newer products.