Shares of Pinterest (PINS) surged approximately 16% in extended trading Monday following the release of first-quarter financial results that exceeded analyst expectations across virtually all key performance indicators.
First-quarter revenue totaled $1.01 billion, representing an 18% increase from the $855 million reported in the prior-year period and beating the Street’s $965 million estimate. The company’s adjusted earnings per share of $0.27 outperformed the consensus forecast of $0.23 by four cents.
Adjusted EBITDA increased 20% year-over-year to reach $207 million. The company generated free cash flow of $312 million, though this represented a 13% decline from the $356 million posted in the first quarter of 2025.
PINTEREST $PINS Q1’26 EARNINGS HIGHLIGHTS
Revenue: $1.008B (Est. $965.44M)
; +18% YoY
Q2 Guide:
— Wall St Engine (@wallstengine) May 4, 2026
On a GAAP basis, the visual discovery platform reported a net loss of $74 million, compared to net income of $9 million during the corresponding quarter last year.
The platform’s global monthly active user count reached a record 631 million, reflecting 11% year-over-year growth. This achievement represents the tenth consecutive quarter of double-digit user base expansion — a milestone the company has prominently highlighted in its 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 in stock buybacks during the quarter, consistent with its previously disclosed plans.
Pinterest has been implementing enhancements to its Performance+ advertising platform, which automates creative development and delivers more sophisticated audience targeting capabilities. These innovations are proving effective at attracting small and medium-sized businesses, helping to balance reduced spending from certain large advertisers grappling with elevated costs associated with tariffs.
Analyst Lenny Zéphirin of The Zéphirin Group observed that while major advertisers continue to provide important revenue stability, they no longer represent the company’s primary growth engine.
In February, Pinterest finalized its acquisition of tvScientific, a connected television advertising technology provider, in a strategic move designed to tap into advertising budgets beyond conventional social media channels.
Competitor Reddit similarly reported robust revenue growth recently, attributing success to AI-enhanced advertising capabilities — suggesting that artificial intelligence-driven ad technologies are benefiting multiple platforms simultaneously.
Looking ahead to the second quarter, Pinterest projected revenue in the range of $1.133 billion to $1.153 billion, indicating year-over-year growth of 14%–16%. The midpoint estimate of $1.143 billion exceeds the analyst consensus forecast of $1.12 billion.
Management also provided guidance for Q2 adjusted EBITDA between $256 million and $276 million.
From a geographic perspective, the Rest of World segment demonstrated the strongest growth trajectory, increasing 59% year-over-year to $72 million. European revenue expanded 27% to reach $186 million.
In April, activist investment firm Elliott disclosed a $1 billion equity position in Pinterest, expressing support for the company’s advertising revenue strategy and backing its newly announced $3.5 billion share repurchase authorization.
The post Pinterest (PINS) Stock Rockets 16% on Strong Q1 Earnings and User Milestone appeared first on Blockonomi.
