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Pinterest (PINS) Down 2.1% Since Last Earnings Report: Can It Rebound?

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It has been about a month since the last earnings report for Pinterest (PINS - Free Report) . Shares have lost about 2.1% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.

Will the recent negative trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Pinterest due for a breakout? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at its most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important catalysts.

Pinterest Q2 Earnings Beat Estimates, Revenues Surge Y/Y

Pinterest reported strong second-quarter 2024 results, with the bottom and top line surpassing the respective Zacks Consensus Estimate. The San Francisco-based Internet content provider reported revenue growth year over year, driven by strong user growth across all regions.

Its lower funnel solutions suite, including mobile deep linking (MDL), API for conversions and clean rooms, and Direct Links, is providing a significant return on investments to advertisers. Management’s focus on improving shoppability and monetization potential across the platform and the incorporation of advanced AI-integrated tools have supported the top line.

Net Income

On a GAAP basis, the company reported a net income of $8.9 million or 1 cent per share against a net loss of $34.9 million or a loss of 5 cents per share in the year-ago quarter.

Non-GAAP net income improved to $207.2 million or 29 cents per share from $142.1 million or 21 cents per share in the year-ago quarter. The bottom line beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by a penny.

Revenues

During the quarter, revenues rose to $853.7 million, up 21% from prior-year quarter’s revenues of $708 million. The top line beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $ 848 million. Pinterest witnessed 12% year-over-year growth in global monthly active users (MAUs) to 522 million from year-earlier quarter’s 465 million.

Healthy growth in MAUs is a compound effect of a range of initiatives focused on personalization, increasing shoppability and actionability and creating a positive alternative to other social media platforms. The company continues to invest in AI to generate highly relevant content across users’ multi-session commercial journeys. 

Pinterest is witnessing solid traction among Gen Z users, who account for more than 40% of the users and is one of the fastest-growing demographics on the platform. Management's decision to increase the accessibility of MDL products to more advertisers has improved shoppability on the platform. This has significantly boosted shopping ads revenue generation.

In addition, the company is taking various initiatives to bring more actionable content on the platform from a wide range of sources such as users, creators, publishers and retailers. This has resulted in a solid improvement in engagement metrics like sessions, impressions and saves across all regions. Pinterest is also expanding its third-party partner ecosystem. The company is partnering with Amazon Ads in the United States and Google Ads Manager in unmonetized international markets.

The United States and Canada generated $673 million in revenues, up 19% year over year. Solid momentum in retail and emerging verticals, including financial services and technology, supported the net sales. Revenues from Europe totaled $143 million, up 25% from $114 million in the year-ago quarter. Healthy traction in retail ensured top-line growth in this region. Net sales from the Rest of World rose to $38 million from $29 million recorded in the prior-year quarter.

MAUs from the United States and Canada were 98 million, up 3% year over year. The Rest of World registered MAUs of 288 million, up 17% from 246 million in the year-earlier quarter. MAUs from Europe increased to 136 million from 124 million in the year-ago quarter. In the June quarter, the global average revenues per user (ARPU) stood at $1.64 compared with the year-ago quarter’s figure of $1.53. ARPU in Europe improved 14% year over year to $1.03 while the United States and Canada rose 16% to $6.85. ARPU from the Rest of World increased 13% year over year to 13 cents.

Other Details

Adjusted EBITDA was $179.9 million in second-quarter 2024, up from the prior-year quarter’s tally of $107 million. Total costs and expenses were $875.1 million, up from $781.3 million in the year-ago quarter. On a GAAP basis, research and development expenses rose to $ 312.8 million from $269.4 million.
 
Cash Flow & Liquidity

For the first six months of 2024, the company generated $462.6 million of cash from operating activities compared with $246.2 million in the prior-year period. As of Jun 30, 2024, Pinterest had cash and cash equivalents of $1.38 billion, with $151.7 million of operating lease liabilities.

Outlook

For the third quarter of 2024, Pinterest expects revenues in the range of $885-900 million, indicating 16-18% year-over-year growth. Non-GAAP operating expenses are projected in the range of $485-500 million, indicating 17-20% growth year over year.

How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?

It turns out, fresh estimates have trended downward during the past month.

The consensus estimate has shifted -14.46% due to these changes.

VGM Scores

At this time, Pinterest has a strong Growth Score of A, though it is lagging a lot on the Momentum Score front with an F. Charting a somewhat similar path, the stock was allocated a grade of D on the value side, putting it in the bottom 40% for this investment strategy.

Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of C. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.

Outlook

Estimates have been broadly trending downward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions indicates a downward shift. It's no surprise Pinterest has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). We expect a below average return from the stock in the next few months.


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