Shares of Trump Media & Technology Group experienced another significant surge on Wednesday, providing a further boost to former President Donald Trump’s financial holdings.
On Wednesday, the company’s stock climbed by 14.2 percent, reaching a value of $66.22. This increase came after the shares began trading under the ticker symbol DJT, which represents Donald Trump’s initials, following the merger between Trump Media and Digital World Acquisition Corp. This merger was specifically established to make Trump’s social media platform, Truth Social, publicly available.
This rise in stock price follows a 16 percent increase on Tuesday, resulting in a market valuation of approximately $8 billion for the company. Trump’s ownership stake, estimated to be around 60 percent, is believed to be worth approximately $4.8 billion. The rapid surge in share prices has raised skepticism among many Wall Street professionals, leading to mockery from Trump’s critics. Some have drawn comparisons to the surges seen in “meme stocks” like AMC and GameStop a few years ago, which significantly inflated their share prices.
The question remains as to whether Trump will be able to utilize this windfall to meet the requirement of posting a $175 million bond for his appeal in the civil fraud case in New York. This case resulted in a judgment of $454 million against him. Currently, there is a six-month lockup period on the shares, preventing Trump from selling his stake or using it as collateral for a loan. However, he may seek a waiver from the company’s board, which would need to determine if granting the waiver is in the best interest of the company and its shareholders.
Due to the limited coverage of Trump Media’s shares by Wall Street analysts, there is no consensus on a price target. In the first nine months of 2023, Trump Media reported a revenue of $3.4 million, accompanied by a loss of $49 million. It is worth noting that many technology start-ups, including Twitter, Amazon, and most recently Reddit, have gone public despite operating at a loss.
