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Spotify tanks after posting surprise Q2 loss, weaker-than-expected Q3 outlook

Spotify shares fell over 7% in premarket trading Tuesday after the audio streamer swung to a loss for the second quarter and gave a lighter-than-expected Q3 outlook.

The company reported a loss of 0.42 euros (~$0.49) per share, while Wall Street had expected profit of 1.97 euros (~$2.27) per share. Revenue came in at 4.19 billion euros ($4.8 billion), missing analysts’ estimates of around 4.27 billion euros ($4.9 billion). 

Monthly active users climbed 11% to 696 million, the second-highest Q2 MAU count in the company’s history and beating expectations. Premium subscribers also grew 12% to 276 million, topping Wall Street’s expected 273.4 million and prior company guidance of 273 million. The combination of higher-than-expected users and lower-than-expected sales pushed average revenue per user among premium subscribers lower for the second straight quarter.

That trend seems poised to continue: for Q3, Spotify expects total MAUs to hit 710 million, ahead of the 707 million analysts anticipated. But it’s guiding for revenue of 4.2 billion euros, coming in short of the 4.48 billion euros expected by the Street. Foreign exchange fluctuations — notably, the strength of the euro versus the US dollar to date in 2025, even after yesterday’s massive bout of weakness following the US-EU trade deal — are a big factor behind Spotify’s lackluster revenue outlook.

Spotify has been focused on improving margins and moving toward consistent profitability, but the company took on higher payroll taxes than expected during Q2 as well as a change in its revenue mix.

Spotify shares were up 53% year to date ahead of the report.

“Currency headwinds and underwhelming 3Q gross margin guidance may be disappointing for Spotify, but we believe they are short-term noise that shouldn’t overshadow the tailwinds,” Bloomberg Intelligence senior industry analyst Geetha Ranganathan wrote.

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SpaceX gets a wave of bullish ratings from Wall Street analysts

SpaceX received more than a dozen positive analyst calls on Tuesday — including from major Wall Street banks — as they initiate coverage on Elon Musk’s space and AI company.

SpaceX went public on June 12 at a $2.2 trillion valuation, the largest debut in history. While the company hasn’t yet posted a profit, it seems to have convinced Wall Street that it will get there and grow its valuation on the way.

Of the at least 17 analysts that gave a rating on Tuesday, all but one gave it a “buy” or “outperform” rating. MoffettNathanson was "neutral."

The ratings come as SpaceX joined the Nasdaq 100 index, a benchmark tech-heavy basket of companies that underpins millions of portfolios. The inclusion adds built-in demand for the stock from index funds and ETFs.

Still, SpaceX fell more than 5% on Tuesday amid a broader sell-off, and is currently effectively flat from its opening price of $150 a share.

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Nike sinks to lowest level since 2014 after warning of “challenged” sales environment in Q4 report

Did Nike do it?

Investors had a mixed reaction after the global sports apparel company reported its fourth quarter earnings on Tuesday after the bell. Shares initially rose 5% as Nike beat out Wall Street expectations amid a hefty tariff refund bonus. However, the stock then sank to its lowest level since August 2014 in postmarket trading.

Here are the Q4 numbers:

  • Revenue of $11.0 billion (estimate: $10.8 billion).

  • Adjusted earnings per share of $0.20 (estimate: $0.12).

Ahead of this report, Nike warned that results would be flattered by a one-time tariff refund (now estimated at roughly $0.52 per share for the bottom line). That gave the company an extra cushion in snapping its streak of seven quarters of year-over-year profit declines.

Over the past year, the company had been punished by tariffs on imported goods, stagnant consumer spending, and increasing competition from other footwear brands like New Balance, Adidas, and Hoka.

Outgoing CFO Matthew Friend deemed it an “increasingly challenging operating environment, where sell-through remains challenged.”

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