• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, September 23, 2024

Finding some high-level marketing spin around the publicly traded stock Trump Media -- shorthand for Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) -- might be easier to come by soon.

The stock, which houses social-media platform Truth Social, hit its lowest price level ever on Friday -- the first trading day that former President Donald Trump was able to sell his shares.

The company is now valued at $3 billion. Trump owns more than half of it -- around $1.6 billion.

The stock has gyrating wildly due to specific news events of his campaign --  after his poor debate performance (according to experts), assassination attempts, and other news.

Common shareholders of the stock could be avid Trump fans, or aggressive stakeholders playing around with what is essentially a meme stock.

This is because there is little business for the company. Although Trump Media has a total $3 billion stock valuation, it only has generated a microscopic $4.1 million in revenue -- virtually all from advertising. That is an improvement from the company's last disclosure, when it cited $1 million in advertising revenue.

According to analysts, the stock movement might be a very rough guide for where his Presidential campaign might be headed.

Investors recently got a bump in the stock price when Trump said he would not sell his shares -- even after the lockup period.

A lockup period for shareholders comes with a company becoming a publicly traded company, which TMTG did in March of this year.

For many, a Trump move to cash in might be akin to a position of leaving his shareholders high and dry -- those who primarily are assumed to be big Trump fans and backers for him to be re-elected as President.

There is little doubt that those opposed to him would have a field day -- building on gains that Vice President Harris has made since she replaced President Joe Biden as the Presidential Democratic contender last month.

Political advertising TV commercials against Trump, centering on this move, would certainly appear in key swing states. 

The words “selling out” would take on a broader emphasis for voters.