Coinbase Shares Surge, Penn Shares Gain, Meta Nears Acquisition of AI Voice Startup

On this edition of Stock Movers:

- Coinbase (COIN) shares are on track for their first record in more than three years, capping off a rally fueled by growing acceptance of the cryptocurrency industry on Wall Street and in Washington. The crypto-exchange operator’s stock was up 2.7% on Thursday, trading at $365.05 — higher than the peak close of $357.39 in November 2021, just months after the company went public through a direct listing. Coinbase shares have surged more than 1,000% from a record low in late 2022, which came as the collapse of FTX raised questions about the future of digital assets. The stock’s comeback occurred as cryptocurrency prices rebounded and the industry won powerful new allies, including US President Donald Trump.

- Penn Entertainment (PENN) shares climbed as much as 4.9% to reach their highest intraday level since early March, after Citizens raised the recommendation on the casino operator to market outperform from market perform. Analyst Jordan Bender says that after several years of overpromising and underdelivering, leading to a bloated cost structure and balance sheet, he sees the light at the end of the tunnel for PENN shares.

- Meta Platforms (META) shares are up. The company is in advanced talks to acquire PlayAI, a small startup using artificial intelligence to replicate voices, part of the social media company’s push to nab top talent and catch up in the AI race. Meta is expected to acquire the Palo Alto, California-based startup’s technology and some of its employees, according to people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be named sharing private information. The deal is not yet finalized and could still change, the people said. Financial terms under discussion could not be learned.

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