Roblox Stock Dives 29% as Firm Misses Q1 Revenue Estimates

Roblox ( RBLX ), an online gaming platform and game creation system, missed analysts' expectations in Q1 CY2024, with revenue up 22.3% year on year to $801.3 million. The company's next quarter's revenue guidance of $867.5 million also underwhelmed, coming in 7.6% below analysts' estimates. Roblox ( RBLX ) made a GAAP loss of $0.43 per share, improving from its loss of $0.44 per share in the same quarter last year.

Roblox ( RBLX ) is best known for its wide assortment of user-generated content and is best known for its wide assortment of user-generated content. Video gaming has gradually taken more share of entertainment time since the 1970s, with ubiquitous mobile devices driving a surge in "snackable" games that can be played on the go. The business models of games publishers have become less volatile due to digitization of distribution, in game monetization, and an increasing dependence on surefire hit franchises. Covid-driven lockdowns accelerated adoption and usage of videogames, a trend that has not slowed.

Roblox's revenue growth over the last three years has been mediocre, averaging 15.2% annually. This quarter, Roblox ( RBLX ) reported decent 22.3% year-on-year revenue growth, falling short of analysts' expectations. Guidance for the next quarter indicates Roblox ( RBLX ) is expecting revenue to grow 27.4% year on year to $867.5 million, improving from the 15.1% year-on-year increase it recorded in the comparable quarter last year. Ahead of the earnings results, analysts were projecting sales to grow 49.5% over the next 12 months.

Roblox's Q1 results struggled to find many strong positives in these results. Its full-year bookings guidance of 15% year-on-year growth missed analysts' expectations, and investors are punishing the stock because management said it would grow at 20%+ annually for the next few years at its November 2023 Investor Day. On top of that, Roblox ( RBLX ) announced it would start calculating adjusted EBITDA differently, raising some questions. Overall, the results could have been better. The company is down 29.3% on the results and currently trades at $27.6 per share.

Roblox ( RBLX ) cut its annual bookings forecast on Thursday, in a sign that people were dialing back on spending within its video-gaming platform amid an uncertain economic outlook and elevated levels of inflation. The company's shares fell 18% in premarket trading. The gaming industry is grappling with lower engagement, which is expected to keep growth in the PC and console market below pre-pandemic levels through 2026, according to research firm Newzoo. The number of hours gamers aged 13 or more spent on Roblox's platform grew by 19% in the first quarter, the lowest growth rate for the company in about two years.

Roblox ( RBLX ) has turned to digital ads to diversify its revenue. Earlier this month, it started displaying virtual billboards featuring content from brands such as Walmart (WMT.N) and Warner Bros Discovery (WBD.O).