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On Tuesday, Loop Capital Markets adjusted its price target for Integral Ad Science Holding Corp (NASDAQ:IAS) shares, bringing it down from $15.00 to $13.00, while still maintaining a Buy rating on the company’s stock. The firm’s analyst, Rob Sanderson, provided insights following the company’s release of its fourth-quarter 2024 financial results, which showed a strong performance and a promising outlook for both the first quarter and the full year of 2025. According to InvestingPro data, IAS maintains excellent financial health with a "GREAT" overall score, supported by strong liquidity metrics and a solid balance sheet with more cash than debt.
Integral Ad Science’s adjusted EBITDA for the fourth quarter surpassed consensus estimates by 9%, supported by a 3% beat on the top line. The company has demonstrated robust growth with revenue increasing 11.75% over the last twelve months to $530.1 million. In light of these results, Sanderson has introduced a forecast for 2026, but opted to reduce the price target to $13.00, which is now set at 8.5 times the adjusted EBITDA estimate for 2026.
The analyst believes that ongoing customer issues at Integral Ad Science’s competitor, DoubleVerify (NYSE:DV), as well as a miss related to a renewal by Integral Ad Science a year ago, will likely continue to negatively affect both companies’ stock valuations. Investors may remain skeptical about the companies’ abilities to replicate their success in addressing the open web when it comes to social media traffic.
Despite the reduced price target, Loop Capital sees a potential for more than 20% upside in Integral Ad Science shares from the current levels, based on the lower valuation multiple. This assessment takes into account a slight discount compared to DoubleVerify, even though Integral Ad Science is now demonstrating higher growth rates. InvestingPro analysis suggests the stock is currently undervalued, with analysts setting price targets ranging from $12 to $18 per share. Get deeper insights into IAS’s valuation and growth prospects with InvestingPro’s comprehensive research report, part of the coverage of 1,400+ US stocks.
In conclusion, Loop Capital maintains a positive stance on Integral Ad Science, recommending a Buy rating, albeit with a lowered price target that reflects a more conservative valuation in light of the broader market challenges and company-specific concerns.
In other recent news, Integral Ad Science reported fourth-quarter earnings that exceeded revenue expectations, posting $153 million compared to the anticipated $148.97 million. This represented a 14% year-over-year increase, although adjusted earnings per share were slightly below forecasts at $0.09 versus the expected $0.11. The company saw double-digit growth across its optimization, measurement, and publisher revenue segments. Looking ahead, IAS provided optimistic guidance for the first quarter of 2025, with expected revenue between $128-131 million, surpassing the $126.5 million consensus. For the full year, IAS anticipates revenue in the range of $588-600 million, above the midpoint analyst estimates of $590.6 million. Scotiabank (TSX:BNS) raised its price target for IAS to $12, maintaining a Sector Perform rating, citing strong fourth-quarter performance and strategic growth into new markets like China. Meanwhile, Benchmark analysts maintained a Hold rating, awaiting more substantial information to assess the company’s revenue outlook for 2025. They noted the company’s collaboration with Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) and recent hires as positive developments, despite challenges in brand demand and measurement growth.
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