Roku Stock (NASDAQ:ROKU) Dips as Howdy Installation Proves a Mite Aggressive

Business Insider

a day ago

Remember just a couple of weeks ago when we first heard about the new Howdy streaming app from streaming video stock Roku (ROKU)? While some thought it was a fine idea, and others were not so certain, there are some signs that Howdy may be a bit more intrusive than anyone expected. And investors are not exactly pleased about this, sending shares down fractionally in the closing minutes of Thursday's trading.
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Basically, not long after Howdy officially launched, Roku put out the command to install it on not only Roku devices, but also on every Roku smart TV. Anything with the Roku branding on it got Howdy whether its owner wanted it or not. Of course, for some, this was just a handy shortcut to get an app they were likely going to get anyway to see what was on it. But for others, they never wanted Howdy around in the first place.
Reports note, however, that removing Howdy is surprisingly easy, and about as simple. Just start at the home screen, find Howdy—usually, newer apps install near the bottom of the list—and then just use the star button on your remote to open up options. Select 'remove channel' from there, and just like that, Howdy moseys off into the sunset. Should you change your mind later, reinstalling Howdy will work like installing any other app.
A Seat at the Sports Table
We all know that sports are playing an ever-increasing role in the strategies of streaming platforms. And, as it turns out, Roku will have a seat at the table in talking about the future of sports. It will be joining representatives of several other platforms including FuboTV (FUBO) and Amazon's (AMZN) Prime Video at the upcoming TheGrill 2025 event.
Roku will be part of a session titled 'Sports & Streaming: Driving Value Across the Ecosystem.' The session will cover topics like rights purchases, building content hubs, and technical innovation in the sector. The end result should be a lot of new information coming out that demonstrates where the future of sports streaming will be headed. And Roku's presence therein demonstrates that it has credibility enough to join in the proceedings.
Is Roku Stock a Good Buy?
Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Moderate Buy consensus rating on ROKU stock based on 15 Buys, six Holds, and one Sell assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After a 48.62% rally in its share price over the past year, the average ROKU price target of $104.05 per share implies 18.91% upside potential.