Snap could go private if it can't get people to stay on its app for longer, analyst says

Snap SNAP could go private if it can't get people to stay on its Snapchat app for longer and improve its monetization, according to a Wall Street research firm. Snap, parent company of Snapchat, started publicly trading in March 2017 but has shed $20 billion in market capitalization since then and has struggled to attract new users. "The data we look at is showing a widening user base, although one which is collectively reducing its time on the platform," said Brian Wieser, a senior research analyst at Pivotal Research Group, in an email to CNBC.