Match Group reports Q4 EBITDA, revenue and Tinder paid subs above guidance; guides Q1 above consensus; guides FY18 in-line
- Reports Q4 (Dec) earnings of $0.29 per share, excluding non-recurring items, $0.03 worse than the Capital IQ Consensus of $0.32; revenues rose 28.5% year/year to $379 mln vs the $362.86 mln Capital IQ Consensus and $355-365 mln guidance. Direct Revenue grew to $364 million, an increase of 29%, driven by 24% growth in average Subscribers to 7.0 million and a 4% increase in ARPU.
- Tinder Average Subscribers exceeded 3 million for the first time, adding a record of 544,000 sequentially vs. 'similar to 476K guidance' and nearly 1.5 million compared to Q4 2016.
- Adjusted EBITDA increased 20% over the prior year quarter to $153 mln vs. $147-152 mln guidance.
- Co issues upside guidance for Q1, sees Q1 revs of $380-390 mln vs. $365.03 mln Capital IQ Consensus Estimate; EBITDA $115-120 mln vs. $113 mln ests.
- Co issues in-line guidance for FY18, sees FY18 revs $1.5-1.6 bln vs. $1.55 bln Capital IQ Consensus Estimate; EBITDA $550-600 mln vs. $575 mln ests.
- Key Drivers for 2018: Subscriber and revenue growth largely driven by continued growth of Tinder with stability across the rest of the portfolio and stable ARPU overall. Margin expansion driven by operating leverage at Tinder and continued discipline on marketing spend at other brands.
- Tinder product in 2018: Drive engagement, focus on female experience, and introduce new revenue features in 2H'18