Workflow
Magnitude Of Roblox's Q2 Beat Unexpected, Says Analyst
RobloxRoblox(US:RBLX) Benzinga·2025-08-01 16:11

Core Viewpoint - Roblox Corp (RBLX) is experiencing a significant market shift with strong second-quarter bookings and user engagement metrics indicating a robust recovery, despite a mixed financial report [1] Financial Performance - Bookings surged 50% year-over-year to $1.44 billion, exceeding estimates of $1.19 billion and the consensus estimate of $1.24 billion [4] - Adjusted EBITDA rose 180% to $205 million, slightly surpassing guidance but missing consensus [5] - Daily active users reached 111.8 million, above the forecast of 92.8 million, with engagement soaring to 27.8 billion hours, surpassing the estimated 22.2 billion [5] Analyst Revisions - Wall Street analysts have revised their price forecasts upward following the quarterly results, with notable increases from Wedbush, Needham, and Bank of America [2][3] - Alicia Reese from Wedbush raised her forecast from $142 to $165, maintaining an Outperform rating [2] - Bernie McTernan from Needham increased his forecast from $79 to $159, while Omar Dessouky from Bank of America lifted his forecast from $133 to $159 [3] Growth Outlook - Analysts expect double-digit growth through 2027, with a return to 20% year-over-year growth after tough comparisons in 2026 [6] - McTernan raised his 2025 and 2026 adjusted EBITDA estimates by 21% and 45%, respectively, driven by AI leadership and a strong pipeline of viral games [6][7] - Dessouky raised his full-year 2025 bookings estimate to $6.06 billion and EBITDA to $1.41 billion, up from $5.59 billion and $1.24 billion, respectively [10] User Engagement and Market Penetration - Daily active users grew 41% year-over-year, indicating deeper penetration into the 13+ demographic and alleviating concerns of market saturation [9] - The growth was driven by the hit title "Grow a Garden" and a 90% increase in Tier 2 games [9] Cost Management - Operating expenses related to infrastructure and trust & safety rose $18 million sequentially, but a 10% drop in cost per engagement hour was noted as a positive sign [10] Future Guidance - Guidance for the third quarter exceeded expectations, with bookings growth forecasted at 41%, compared to Bank of America's estimate of 23% [10] - Dessouky projects margin expansion of 100 basis points in 2025 and over 300 basis points in 2026–27 [11]