Pinterest forecasts downbeat revenue as it battles for digital ad dollars; shares plunge

By Kritika Lamba Feb 12 (Reuters) – Pinterest forecast first-quarter revenue below Wall Street estimates on Thursday, as it battles sharper cutbacks in ad spending by tariff-hit retailers and mounting pressure from deep-pocketed rivals, knocking its shares down more than 18% in extended trading. Last month, the image-sharing platform had cut about 15% of its workforce to shift resources towards AI, a move investors viewed as defensive rather than bold. "Many of the largest retailers have been disproportionately impacted by tariffs and have been pulling back on advertising spend across the industry as they seek to protect their margins," Chief Financial Officer Julia Donnelly said on a post-earnings call, adding that a higher mix of large retailers resulted in a bigger impact. Meanwhile, advertisers are increasingly turning to social media giants to tap into their massive user bases and their advanced AI tools for ad creation. "Competition from larger platforms such as TikTok and Instagram is likely to remain a structural headwind, as advertisers continue to favor scaled ecosystems with superior targeting and engagement. This dynamic could constrain Pinterest's ability to sustain meaningful ad share gains," said Longdley Zéphirin, CEO of The Zephirin Group, an equity research firm. Pinterest is pushing to attract advertisers via its expanded AI-powered Performance+ ad suite and new hires, including former Spotify ads head Lee Brown as chief business officer and longtime Amazon executive Claudine Cheever as chief marketing officer. But the company must convince advertisers who already have sophisticated tools on larger platforms, Jeremy Goldman, senior director at eMarketer, said, adding to the point. For the first quarter, Pinterest expects revenue in the range of $951 million to $971 million, below the analysts' average estimate of $980.1 million, according to data compiled by LSEG. Pinterest's softer outlook contrasts with stronger results from rivals Snap and Reddit, which were buoyed by their respective AI tools. The company ended 2025 with 619 million global monthly active users, up from the 553 million it had reported in 2024, a sign that its core product remains appealing to consumers seeking inspiration for everything from home decor to fashion and recipes. Revenue for the fourth quarter rose 14% to $1.32 billion, largely in line with estimates of $1.33 billion. (Reporting by Kritika Lamba in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona and Sriraj Kalluvila)

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