On Friday, BTIG raised the price target for NASDAQ:GAMB (Gambling.com Group Ltd.) to $13.00 from $10.00 while maintaining a Buy rating on the stock. The adjustment follows the company's announcement of strong second-quarter 2024 results, which surpassed expectations and led to an upward revision of their full-year guidance.
The company's better-than-expected performance in the second quarter was attributed to a quicker than anticipated recalibration of its owned and operated sites following changes in Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL)'s ranking algorithms. Additionally, the recent acquisition of Freebets is reportedly yielding results that exceed management's initial projections.
BTIG anticipates that growth for the remainder of the year will be propelled mainly by markets outside the United States, as Gambling.com compensates for the impact of Google's adjustments on its US Media Partnerships business and moves past the challenging comparison period stemming from the ESPN Bet launch. Nonetheless, the firm projects that the US operation will experience double-digit growth next year.
The larger context shows that the global gambling market is expanding more rapidly than before, both in the US and internationally. Consumer behavior is also shifting, with high intent search queries becoming less operator-specific, which bodes well for the industry.
Gambling.com's market share in the affiliate sector has increased from the low double digits in 2020-2021 to approximately 22.5% as of the first quarter of 2024.
Despite some stabilization among competitors, BTIG expects Gambling.com to continue gaining market share within the growing affiliate segment. The company is also positioned to accelerate this growth through mergers and acquisitions, leveraging its debt capacity and an improving EBITDA/Free Cash Flow profile to consider purchases within its core performance marketing segments and related areas.
In conclusion, BTIG reaffirms a positive outlook for Gambling.com, citing the company's robust fundamental trajectory and its appeal as an investment opportunity in the expanding global online gambling market.
In other recent news, Gambling.com Group has seen a downward revision in stock price targets from financial services firms B.Riley, Truist Securities, and Stifel, despite maintaining a Buy rating from all three.
This comes on the heels of the company's recent earnings report, which showed a 15% beat to consensus EBITDA estimates but also led to a downward revision of future EBITDA projections for the years 2024 and 2025.
The company's first-quarter performance was strong, with growth across various regions, however, the projected changes in Google's policy in May 2024 have resulted in reduced revenue guidance for the year 2024.
Despite this, Gambling.com Group completed the acquisition of Freebets.com, which management believes will yield significant operational improvements. The company's management remains confident in meeting the consensus EBITDA estimates for the calendar year 2025.
These recent developments have led to adjustments in the price targets from B.Riley, Truist Securities, and Stifel, who have set new targets at $13, $12, and $13 respectively, while maintaining the Buy rating on the stock.
InvestingPro Insights
Following BTIG's positive assessment, InvestingPro data further underscores the compelling financial health of NASDAQ:GAMB (Gambling.com Group Ltd.). The company boasts an impressive gross profit margin of 90.59% over the last twelve months as of Q2 2024, which is indicative of its strong pricing power and cost control. Additionally, with a P/E ratio adjusted for the last twelve months standing at 11.99, Gambling.com presents a potentially attractive valuation relative to its earnings.
InvestingPro Tips highlight the strategic moves by management, such as aggressive share buybacks, which often signal confidence in the company's future prospects. Another notable aspect is Gambling.com's moderate level of debt, which allows for financial flexibility and potential for future growth through acquisitions, aligning with BTIG's expectations.
For investors seeking more in-depth analysis, there are additional InvestingPro Tips available, which delve into the company's profitability forecasts, cash flow sustainability, and recent significant returns. For instance, the stock has experienced a remarkable 39.03% return over the last three months, underscoring its strong performance in the market. These insights and more are accessible through the comprehensive suite of tools and data provided by InvestingPro (https://www.investing.com/pro/GAMB).
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