Snapchat is sad
- $SNAP shares plunged after they provided weaker-than-expected guidance despite beating on the top and bottom lines.
- The company has faced a slowing advertising market and daily-active-user growth, despite big bets on A.I. technology.
- Shares remain up +12.6% year-to-date but are well off their 2021 highs.
Overall sales declined 4% year-over-year, with a slightly-than-expected lower-end total sales forecast for the third quarter.
Snap is regarded by some analysts as a bellwether for digital marketing spend, which has struggled of late but is experiencing a modest recovery.
Evan Spiegel said that the social media industry has become harder to "forecast" in.
My forecast: Mark Zuckerberg is choking out Snapchat because it's the only large social platform he wasn't able to acquire.