Reddit Shares Plunge 23% as Slowing User Growth and Weak Q4 Outlook Overshadow Strong Earnings
Reddit (RDDT) shares fell 23% premarket after Q3 earnings beat estimates ($1.40 EPS, $895M revenue) but Q4 guidance ($1B-$1.03B) missed expectations. Declining search traffic, particularly from Google's AI Overviews, hurt user growth (12% DAU increase, down from 18%). Jefferies noted strong revenue growth but warned of near-term stock pressure due to user trends. Reddit plans to focus on logged-in users and app adoption to reduce reliance on search traffic.
How this was made

The 30-second read
Why it matters
The guidance miss and user‑growth concerns triggered a sharp sell‑off, highlighting the risk of AI‑driven search changes for ad‑dependent platforms.
Market read
Reddit's guidance miss and pre‑market plunge underscore the material impact of AI‑generated search results on user acquisition and revenue for digital platforms.
What to watch
Strong advertising revenue growth and high profitability may cushion earnings despite the user‑growth slowdown.
Background
Reddit reported strong Q3 earnings but issued Q4 revenue guidance below expectations, citing a decline in search‑engine referrals caused by AI overviews, leading to a 23% pre‑market plunge.
Ticker impact
Reddit shares fell over 23% in pre‑market trading after the company issued Q4 revenue guidance below Wall Street expectations.
likely further downside as the market prices in weaker user growth and revenue outlook
The guidance miss and 23% pre‑market drop indicate bearish sentiment; investors worry about search‑traffic decline and slowing DAU trends.
Market effects
Social‑media and ad‑supported platforms may face pressure as AI‑driven search summaries reduce referral traffic.
US investors could cut exposure to Reddit amid weaker daily active user growth.
The shift in search behavior could ripple to other digital‑media companies worldwide.
Counterpoint
If Reddit successfully shifts users to its app and logged‑in experience, growth could rebound, making the sell‑off overblown.
Key entities
- companyReddit
Social media platform reporting Q3 earnings and Q4 guidance.
- analyst_firmJefferies
Provided commentary on Reddit's user trends and near‑term outlook.
