Key Highlights
- Pinterest shares soared approximately 16% during extended trading hours following a strong Q1 earnings performance
- First-quarter revenue reached $1.01 billion, marking an 18% annual increase and surpassing the $965 million Wall Street forecast
- Adjusted earnings per share of $0.27 exceeded analyst projections of $0.23; adjusted EBITDA climbed 20% to $207 million
- The platform’s monthly active user base hit a record 631 million — marking the tenth consecutive quarter of double-digit expansion
- Second-quarter revenue forecast of $1.133B–$1.153B topped the $1.12 billion consensus estimate
Pinterest (PINS) shares surged approximately 16% in extended trading Monday evening following the company’s announcement of first-quarter financial results that exceeded Wall Street expectations across virtually all key performance indicators.
First-quarter revenue totaled $1.01 billion, representing an 18% increase from the prior-year period’s $855 million and surpassing the analyst forecast of $965 million. The company’s adjusted earnings per share of $0.27 outpaced Wall Street’s $0.23 projection by four cents.
Adjusted EBITDA registered a 20% year-over-year gain, reaching $207 million. The visual discovery platform generated free cash flow of $312 million, though this figure declined 13% compared to the $356 million reported in Q1 2025.
Under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), Pinterest recorded a net loss of $74 million, representing a reversal from the $9 million net income achieved during the comparable quarter last year.
The platform’s worldwide monthly active user count reached a company record of 631 million, reflecting 11% year-over-year growth. This achievement extends the company’s double-digit user expansion streak to ten consecutive quarters — a milestone the organization has prominently featured in communications with investors.
“Q1 revenue surpassing $1 billion, up 18% year over year, and global monthly active users growing to 631 million,” said CEO Bill Ready in a statement following the results.
The company also executed $2 billion worth of share buybacks throughout the quarter, consistent with previous announcements.
Artificial Intelligence-Powered Advertising and Growing SMB Adoption
Pinterest has been implementing enhancements to its Performance+ advertising platform, which streamlines creative asset generation and delivers enhanced personalization capabilities. These capabilities are proving effective in attracting small and medium-sized business clients, helping to compensate for reduced spending from certain large advertisers navigating elevated costs associated with tariff pressures.
Lenny Zéphirin, an analyst with The Zéphirin Group, observed that while major advertisers continue to provide important stability, they no longer represent the company’s principal growth catalyst.
In February, Pinterest finalized its purchase of tvScientific, a connected television advertising technology provider, designed to tap into advertising budgets extending beyond conventional social media channels.
Competitor Reddit similarly reported robust revenue performance last week, attributing success to AI-enhanced advertising solutions — indicating that artificial intelligence-driven advertising technology is benefiting multiple platforms simultaneously.
Second-Quarter Outlook Exceeds Projections
For the current quarter, Pinterest projected revenue in the range of $1.133 billion to $1.153 billion, indicating 14%–16% year-over-year expansion. The guidance midpoint of $1.143 billion exceeds the analyst consensus forecast of $1.12 billion.
Management also provided adjusted EBITDA guidance for Q2 ranging from $256 million to $276 million.
From a regional perspective, the Rest of World category demonstrated the strongest performance, expanding 59% year-over-year to $72 million. European revenue advanced 27% to $186 million.
In April, activist investment firm Elliott Management revealed a $1 billion equity position in Pinterest, expressing support for the company’s advertising revenue approach and endorsing its newly announced $3.5 billion share repurchase initiative.
