Shares of Bumble Inc. (BMBL), the popular online dating company, plunged over 8% in after-hours trading on Monday, November 6, 2024, following the company's third-quarter earnings report and disappointing revenue guidance for the upcoming quarter. Bumble operates several dating apps, including its namesake dating platform and Badoo, catering to a global user base seeking romantic connections and relationships.
For the third quarter of 2024, Bumble reported a staggering net loss of $849.3 million, or $5.11 per share, primarily due to a non-cash impairment charge of $892.2 million related to the company's intangible assets and goodwill. This massive charge was triggered by a sustained decline in Bumble's stock price and market capitalization. Despite the significant loss, the company's revenue for the quarter came in at $273.6 million, slightly exceeding analyst estimates.
However, Bumble's guidance for the fourth quarter fell short of expectations, projecting revenue in the range of $256 million to $262 million, lower than the consensus analyst estimate of around $260 million. The company acknowledged that its efforts to reimagine the user experience, strengthen the ecosystem, and drive revenue growth aligned with its value proposition will take multiple quarters to materialize fully.
Bumble is making significant investments in marketing, product development, and technology to support its long-term growth plans, which may impact profitability in the near term. This includes initiatives such as rebalancing marketing strategies to acquire the right users, strengthening organic marketing efforts, and introducing regular product updates to enhance customer experience and engagement.
The disappointing fourth-quarter revenue outlook and the recognition that Bumble's turnaround efforts will require time raised concerns among investors about slowing growth and user engagement on the company's dating platforms, leading to the sharp sell-off in after-hours trading.
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