Benzinga·2025-06-17 16:59Core Viewpoint - Needham analyst Laura Martin maintains a Buy rating on Taboola.com (TBLA) and raises the price target from $3.34 to $4.50, highlighting the company's unique advantages and growth potential in the AdTech space [1] Group 1: Company Overview - Taboola is recognized as a leading performance AdTech company that operates in the open internet, leveraging exclusive supply and unique data [1] - The company aggregates data from 600 million Daily Active Users (DAUs) through direct integrations with publishers' websites, providing significant targeting advantages [2] Group 2: Product and Technology - Taboola's generative AI assistant, Abby, facilitates self-service ad creation and campaign management, attracting small- and medium-sized advertisers [2] - The company integrates generative AI across various functions, including treasury, FP&A, R&D, and sales, to enhance productivity and reduce costs [4] Group 3: Revenue Model and Partnerships - More than 90% of Taboola's revenue is derived from direct advertiser relationships, and about 90% of its supply comes from exclusive five- to seven-year contracts with website owners [5] - The partnership with Yahoo, established in November 2022, allows Taboola to sell all native ads on Yahoo properties, which has doubled its adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow (FCF) within 18 months [7] Group 4: Financial Performance - For the second quarter, Taboola is expected to report net revenue (ex-TAC) of $161.7 million, reflecting an 8% year-over-year increase, and adjusted EBITDA of $41.9 million, up 13% year-over-year, with a 26% margin [7] - The company anticipates converting 50%–60% of adjusted EBITDA into free cash flow [7] Group 5: Market Expansion - Taboola's new Realize platform broadens its Total Addressable Market (TAM) by enabling revenue generation from display and video ads, with display ad spending being approximately three times larger than native ad revenue [6]