Lately, Monster Worldwide Inc. (NASDAQ: MNST) has scared away investors. This is despite a bull run for mega internet franchises like Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) and Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN). Yet Barron's thinks that Monster can roar again.
No doubt, the company has some serious issues. For one thing, the economy appears to be slowing down. Also, competition in the sector is fierce, with players like Indeed.com and Dice (NYSE: DHX) fighting for every dollar.
But it looks like the bad news is baked into the stock already. Keep in mind that Monster trades about 20 times the projected profits for 2008. Additionally, Monster has been building out its global footprint, such as in Europe and Asia. And there are no shortage of buyout suitors, like Google, News Corp. (NYSE: NWS), and Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT).
What's more, Monster owns 44.4% of ChinaHR.com, which is the #2 jobs site in China. In light of the crazy valuations of Chinese IPOs, this could be a highly valued asset.
Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook
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