As of New Year's Eve last year, it was the job of seven Wall Street analysts to rate Zynga's stock a sell or buy. Five of them recommended buying the social gaming company behind such timeless titles as FarmVille. Their average 12-month price target for the stock: $11.70. The price of Zynga shares as of Dec. 19, 2012: $2.40.
Where it all went wrong for Zynga is up for debate. After its rich IPO last December, which valued the company at $7 billion, there may not have been anywhere to go but down. The company was wholly reliant on Facebook for users, and its casual games meant that users left once they purchased all the FarmVille turnips they could bear. While it's been a rough year for Zynga, a comeback might be in order: the company recently said it was pursuing a Nevada gambling license to allow users to bet real money on games. Shares jumped 5% on the news. Zynga has hope after all.
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