The stock market showed signs of optimism on Friday as stock futures indicated mostly higher openings. The previous day, the S&P 500 momentarily surpassed the 5,000 mark during intraday trading but ultimately closed just below this milestone after a marginal increase of less than 0.1%.
Affirm Holdings: Strong second-quarter revenue growth
Affirm Holdings experienced strong growth in its fiscal second quarter, with revenue increasing by 48% compared to the previous year, reaching $591 million. The lending and payments company reported a loss of 54 cents per share. Gross merchandise volume also saw substantial growth, rising by 32% from last year to $7.5 billion. This growth marks the third consecutive quarter of acceleration for the company. Affirm Holdings raised its fiscal-year forecast for gross merchandise volume to over $25.25 billion, which is $1 billion higher than its previous outlook. Despite these positive results, the stock experienced an 11% decline in premarket trading following a prior 10% increase leading up to the earnings report.
Cloudflare: Impressive fourth-quarter performance
Internet infrastructure company Cloudflare saw a significant surge of 27% in its stock price after reporting impressive fourth-quarter figures. The company’s adjusted earnings rose to 15 cents per share, up from 6 cents in the previous year, surpassing analysts’ expectations of 12 cents. Additionally, Cloudflare’s revenue increased by 32% to $363 million, beating estimates of $353 million. According to Cloudflare, this growth was primarily driven by strong momentum with its large customers.
Expedia Group: Mixed results overshadowed by CEO announcement
Expedia Group reported fourth-quarter adjusted earnings of $1.72 per share, outperforming analysts’ expectations of $1.68. However, shares of the online travel agency plummeted by 14% following the announcement that CEO Peter Kern would be replaced by Ariane Gorin. Gorin, who has been with the company since 2013 and most recently served as president for business, will officially assume the role on May 13. Expedia Group also disclosed gross bookings of $21.67 billion in the quarter, an increase of 6%, falling slightly short of Wall Street estimates of $22 billion.
In conclusion, despite the overall positive market sentiment, certain stocks experienced contrasting fortunes. Affirm Holdings demonstrated significant revenue growth, while Cloudflare showcased an impressive performance. Conversely, Expedia Group faced mixed results combined with a notable change in leadership.
Pinterest Misses Revenue Estimates in Q4
Pinterest recently reported its fourth-quarter revenue, which slightly fell short of Wall Street estimates. The adjusted profit of 53 cents per share, however, exceeded expectations by 1 cent. Looking ahead to the first quarter, Pinterest projected a revenue range of $690 million to $705 million, representing a 15% to 17% increase. However, the middle of that range is slightly below the Wall Street consensus of $702 million. As a result, shares of the social media site have been falling by 11%.
Take-Two Interactive Software’s Revenue Guidance Falls Short
Take-Two Interactive Software announced that its fiscal third-quarter adjusted revenue, also known as net bookings, matched analysts’ estimates. However, the videogame publisher’s revenue guidance for the fourth quarter is between $1.27 billion and $1.32 billion, missing the consensus estimate of $1.51 billion. Take-Two attributed this shortfall to weakness in mobile advertising and revenue from its NBA 2K24 basketball game. Consequently, the stock declined by 7.6%.
Arm Holdings Experiences Surge in Revenue
Arm Holdings had an impressive showing in its recent earnings report, with revenue significantly surpassing Wall Street expectations. The chip designer’s bullish revenue outlook and earnings were fueled by a faster-than-expected shift to artificial intelligence. However, in premarket trading, the stock experienced a slight decline of 3%.
Upcoming Earnings Reports from PepsiCo, Newell Brands, and AMC Networks
Earnings reports are anticipated on Friday from PepsiCo, Newell Brands, and AMC Networks. Prior to the release of its fourth-quarter earnings report, PepsiCo’s stock rose by 1%. Analysts are expecting the beverage and snack giant to post earnings of $1.72 per share on revenue amounting to $28.4 billion. As inflation continues to pose challenges, PepsiCo, like others in the industry, must carefully navigate the delicate task of raising prices.
