Snap Inc saw its shares nosedive by 30% during Wednesday morning trading following its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings report, which missed revenue estimates and provided weak guidance.

The sharp decline comes as the social media giant faces challenges in rebounding from a tough advertising market in 2022, lagging behind competitors like Meta.

This downturn marks one of Snap’s worst days on the market since its debut in 2017, with previous significant drops of 43% in May 2022 and 39% two months later.

Despite reporting a quarterly revenue of $1.36 billion, slightly below analysts’ expectations of $1.38 billion, and an adjusted EPS of 8 cents versus the anticipated 6 cents, Snap continues to struggle with sluggish growth, marking its sixth consecutive quarter of either single-digit growth or sales declines.

Remain cautious

While Snap forecasts an uptick in growth for the first quarter, analysts remain cautious, with Morgan Stanley maintaining an underweight rating and lowering their price target to $11.

They cited Snap’s slower-than-expected ad turnaround and weak engagement, especially in comparison to the robust ad improvements observed at Meta and Amazon.

Snap attributed some of its challenges to external factors, noting that the conflict in the Middle East had a negative impact on year-over-year growth in the fourth quarter.

Despite these setbacks, Barclays analysts expressed optimism, maintaining an overweight rating and a $15 price target, likening Snap’s current state to Meta’s position five quarters ago, on the cusp of a recovery.

Underweight rating

JPMorgan analysts reiterated their underweight rating but raised the price target to $11, emphasizing the need for Snap to demonstrate stronger growth in engagement and its ad platform amidst the choppy recovery evident in its latest earnings and outlook.

In an interview on CNBC’s “Money Movers,” Snap CEO Evan Spiegel acknowledged the challenges but expressed confidence in the company’s trajectory, citing improved advertiser performance and increased revenue expectations. Spiegel also addressed Snap’s recent decision to reduce its workforce by around 10%, stating that the move aims to streamline operations and facilitate faster decision-making.

The market’s response to Snap’s earnings underscores investors’ concerns about the company’s ability to navigate the competitive landscape and deliver sustainable growth amid evolving advertising dynamics.