Andrew Willis: What started as an iconic Canadian smartphone company and became a meme stock is once again transforming. This time, you’ll find BlackBerry (BB) under the hood, where it leads the market in automotive infotainment systems.
In addition to electronic control units and driver assistance programs, BlackBerry’s QNX system puts the company in pole position to capture growth in the software space for cars. Stock analyst William Kerwin says the company’s core cybersecurity business, however, is in a highly fragmented and competitive market now.
What once helped inspire a meme stock in the cybersecurity space may be taking a back seat to growth in Internet of Things applications at Blackberry – namely automobile software ecosystems. It’s still a speculative bet and there’s likely a long road ahead before it pays off – but without the meme stock premium.
For Morningstar, I’m Andrew Willis.