NEW YORK, Nov. 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Xcel Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ: XELB), an industry-leading media and consumer products company specializing in building influencer-driven brands through social commerce and livestreaming, is proud to announce a new partnership between Longaberger and Shannon Doherty, creator of At Home with Shannon. Together, they will introduce a new collection designed to bring warmth, style, and functionality to every home. With Longaberger’s long-standing tradition of American cra ...

WeShop Launches in the U.S. After Strong Nasdaq Debut, Allowing Users to Earn Ownership through their Shopping U.S. app launch includes leading brands across fashion, electronics, beauty, home, and lifestyle categories, including Bloomingdales, Walmart and Nike. WeShop’s social commerce platform combines shopping and social interactions designed to drive product discovery, retailer growth, and community ownershipU.S. app launch includes leading brands across fashion, electronics, beauty, home, and lifes ...

Xcel Brands (NasdaqCM:XELB) Q3 2025 Earnings Call November 19, 2025 05:00 PM ET Speaker6Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for standing by. Today's conference call is scheduled to begin momentarily. You will be placed back on music hold until then. Thank you for your patience. Hello, and thank you for standing by. My name is John, and I will be your conference operator today. At this time, I would like to welcome everyone to the Xcel Brands Q3 2025 earnings conference call. All lines have been placed on mute t ...

Group 1: Applied Therapeutics, Inc. (APLT) - The stock price of Applied Therapeutics rose to $0.35 due to developments in products targeting cardiovascular disease and diabetic complications [1] - The company faces uncertainties regarding FDA approval for its lead drug, which may lead to a decline in stock price [1] - Trading volume surged to over 20 million, significantly higher than the average of 4.88 million [1][5] Group 2: Alpha Technology Group Limited (ATGL) - Alpha Technology Group's stock price increased to $16.98, driven by its focus on cloud-based IT services and AI-powered solutions [2] - A strategic partnership with AB DAO aims to enhance AI and blockchain technology in supply chain management and IoT, boosting investor confidence [2] Group 3: WeShop Holdings Limited (WSHP) - WeShop's stock price rose to $48 following its debut on the Nasdaq Capital Market [3] - The company integrates social interactions with shopping, enhancing product discovery and retailer growth [3] - WeShop plans to launch its app in the U.S., partnering with retailers and offering users ownership in the company [3] Group 4: Market Trends - The movements in stock prices reflect diverse sectors, with companies under close scrutiny by investors and analysts for growth opportunities and market impacts [4][5]

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Core Insights - eBay operates one of the largest online marketplaces, connecting millions of buyers and sellers, but faces pressure to modernize against mobile-first competitors [1] - The acquisition of Tise, a social marketplace, allows eBay to enhance user engagement through community features, targeting Gen Z and Millennial shoppers [2] - eBay's strategy positions it between Amazon's scale, Shopify's social commerce, and Etsy's niche market, leveraging Tise's capabilities to strengthen its C2C foundation [3][5] Competitive Landscape - Amazon is testing resale but focuses more on logistics than social engagement, creating a gap in community-driven commerce [3] - Shopify is gaining traction in social commerce but lacks the resale depth that eBay offers [3] - Etsy has a strong community-focused marketplace but remains more niche compared to eBay's broader reach [3] Investment Outlook - The acquisition of Tise signals eBay's intent to reignite growth through C2C and social commerce, with potential to deepen engagement and boost transaction frequency [4] - Successful integration of Tise could restore eBay's differentiation in a crowded resale market [4] - By combining scale with social-first design, eBay aims to compete more effectively against major rivals [4]

Market Trends & Social Commerce - October is crucial for determining if social commerce can outperform token inflation [1] - Telegram users' willingness to purchase and flip items is demonstrated by the rapid sale of $390 thousand NFT stickers [1] - The potential for 900 million users to purchase $40 sticker packs, trading like tokens, establishes a demand floor [1] Tokenomics & Investment - TON is set to absorb a 635 million token unlock in October [1] - Alphaton Capital has invested $30 million, betting on Pudgy Penguins [1] - Institutions are relying on the demand floor created by sticker pack purchases [1]

Social commerce makes up a fifth of online shopping in South-East Asia. This is home turf for TikTok. But the social-media giant has a new rival https://t.co/uQuHc3OX3B ...

Core Insights - Pinterest (PINS) and Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) are significant players in the social media and social commerce sectors, with Pinterest focusing on visual recommendations and Meta leveraging its extensive user base across multiple platforms [1][2][3] Group 1: Market Position and Growth - The global social commerce market is projected to reach $17.83 trillion by 2033, with a CAGR of 36.4% from 2025 to 2033, prompting Pinterest and META to enhance their market strategies [3] - Pinterest reported a record high of 578 million global monthly active users (MAUs) in Q2 2025, indicating consistent user growth across all regions [5] - META's Family Daily Active People (DAP) reached 3.48 billion in Q2 2025, reflecting a 6.4% year-over-year increase, showcasing its vast user engagement potential [9] Group 2: Financial Performance - Pinterest's total costs and expenses rose to $1 billion in Q2 2025, up from $875.1 million year-over-year, indicating increased operational costs [7] - META's cash and cash equivalents stood at $47.07 billion as of June 30, 2025, with a current ratio of 1.97, suggesting strong liquidity [12] Group 3: Competitive Landscape - Pinterest faces intense competition from META, SNAP Inc., and others in the social commerce space, necessitating aggressive market expansion and innovation [7] - META is enhancing user engagement through AI-powered recommendations, resulting in a 5% increase in time spent on Facebook and a 6% increase on Instagram in Q2 2025 [11] Group 4: Valuation and Estimates - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Pinterest's 2025 sales implies a year-over-year growth of 15.62%, while META's sales growth estimate is 19.1% [14][16] - Over the past year, Pinterest's stock gained 10.5%, while META surged 41.3%, indicating stronger market performance for META [17] Group 5: Strategic Initiatives - Pinterest is focusing on improving its advertising platform to attract consumer discretionary brands, while META is investing in AI capabilities to enhance engagement and advertising effectiveness [4][11] - Both companies are ranked 3 (Hold) by Zacks, with upward estimate revisions for META indicating growing investor confidence [19]

Core Viewpoint - Xcel Brands, Inc. reported a significant decline in revenue for the second quarter of 2025, primarily due to the divestiture of the Lori Goldstein brand, while the company is focusing on strengthening its balance sheet and launching new creator/influencer brands in the near future [2][3][5]. Financial Results - Total revenue for Q2 2025 was $1.3 million, a decrease of approximately $1.6 million (-55%) from Q2 2024, attributed to the decline in net licensing revenue following the divestiture of the Lori Goldstein brand [3][7]. - Direct operating costs and expenses decreased by approximately $1.2 million (-39%) year-over-year to $1.9 million, reflecting cost reductions and the impact of the employee retention tax credit [4][8]. - The net loss attributable to Xcel Brands stockholders for Q2 2025 was approximately $4.0 million, or $(1.66) per share, compared to a net income of $0.2 million, or $0.08 per share, in the prior year [5][11]. - Adjusted EBITDA for Q2 2025 was negative $0.3 million, compared to negative $0.04 million in the prior year, indicating a 45% year-over-year improvement when adjusting for the prior year’s contribution from the Lori Goldstein brand [6][12]. Year-to-Date Performance - For the six-month period ended June 30, 2025, total revenue was $2.7 million, a decrease of approximately $2.5 million (-48%) from the same period in 2024, again driven by the decline in net licensing revenue [7][11]. - The net loss attributable to Xcel Brands stockholders for the six months was approximately $6.8 million, or $(2.84) per share, compared to a net loss of $6.1 million, or $(2.78) per share, for the same period in 2024 [11][12]. - Year-to-date Adjusted EBITDA for 2025 was negative $1.0 million, an improvement from negative $1.6 million for the first six months of 2024, representing a 38% improvement [9][12]. Balance Sheet and Financing - As of June 30, 2025, the company had stockholders' equity of approximately $22.5 million, unrestricted cash and cash equivalents of approximately $1.0 million, and long-term debt of $11.8 million [13][29]. - In August 2025, Xcel closed a public equity offering and a concurrent private placement for combined gross proceeds of approximately $2.6 million, enhancing the company's liquidity [14]. Social Media and Brand Development - The company's social media following increased from 5 million to 43 million in Q2 2025, reflecting the impact of new influencer brand announcements [9]. - Xcel Brands is focused on developing new creator/influencer brands, with planned launches starting later this year and into 2026 [2].