GoDaddy Inc. (GDDY): A Bull Case Theory

Core Thesis - GoDaddy Inc. is viewed as a compelling investment opportunity due to its durable, cash-generating business model and deeply discounted valuation despite a significant decline in market capitalization [3][5]. Company Overview - GoDaddy Inc. specializes in the design and development of cloud-based products, owning over 84 million domains, which serve as digital front doors for millions of micro businesses [3][4]. - The company generates substantial free cash flow from recurring "digital rent" through domain renewals and related services [3]. Financial Performance - GoDaddy's free cash flow has remained robust, with expectations to generate between $1.2 billion and $1.6 billion, supporting both share buybacks and potential debt reduction [5][6]. - The company has raised its guidance, indicating resilience in its core business despite a roughly 50% decline in market capitalization over the past year [3][6]. Share Repurchase Strategy - GoDaddy has aggressively repurchased shares, reducing its share count by more than 25% since 2022, which creates a self-reinforcing growth engine [4][6]. - This strategy is expected to enhance shareholder value even without extraordinary organic growth [4]. Market Mispricing - The current market valuation misprices GoDaddy as a commoditized registrar with structural growth risks, underestimating the value of its recurring cash flows and share repurchase program [5][6]. - Base-case valuations suggest an upside to $24 billion, with potential for free cash flow per share growth of approximately 8% annually [6]. Competitive Dynamics - GoDaddy benefits from low customer churn due to the inconvenience of switching domains, hosting, and email services, creating a "toll bridge" dynamic that supports durable revenue [4][6]. - Key risks include leverage constraints, AI-driven platform changes, competitive pricing pressure, and the temptation for dilutive acquisitions [6].