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Reddit Shares Drop After Missing User Growth Expectations Despite Strong Revenue

The platform's Q4 results exceeded earnings forecasts but fell short on daily active user targets, attributed to a Google algorithm change.

Overview

  • Reddit reported Q4 revenue of $428 million, a 71% year-over-year increase, surpassing Wall Street's $405 million estimate.
  • Daily active unique users grew 39% to 101.7 million but missed the projected 103.3 million, contributing to a sharp stock decline.
  • CEO Steve Huffman attributed the user shortfall to a Google search algorithm update, which primarily affected logged-out users, though traffic has since recovered in Q1 2025.
  • AI content licensing deals with Google and OpenAI now account for 10% of Reddit's revenue, while advertising remains its primary income source.
  • Despite the stock drop, analysts highlighted Reddit's strong ad revenue growth and international expansion as positive long-term indicators.