Over the next weeks, Opera will be launching new versions of its flagship browsers with an upgraded free browser AI, which will bring faster models, better browser integration, higher usage limits as well as access to open source local models. This week, Opera started shipping its new, premium offering: the new Opera Neon browser. While Aria offers everyday AI support to hundreds of millions of Opera users, Opera Neon is built around agentic AI, which allows AI power-users to move beyond basic AI capabiliti ...

Core Thesis - Opera Limited is viewed positively due to its strong growth, innovative products, and attractive valuation, presenting a compelling investment opportunity in the mid-cap software sector [1][4]. Company Overview - Opera Limited is a global software and internet company founded in 1995, listed on Nasdaq, and focuses on delivering browsers and AI-driven products [2]. - The company has a diversified portfolio including Opera One, Opera GX, Opera Mini, and Opera Neon, catering to various user segments [2]. - As of Q2 2025, Opera reported 289 million monthly active users, with 206 million on mobile and 83 million on desktop, including 58 million in high-value Western markets [2]. Financial Performance - In Q2 2025, Opera's advertising revenue increased by 44% year-over-year, while search revenue grew by 11%, leading to an annualized ARPU of $1.97 [3]. - The company's MiniPay stablecoin wallet saw a 255% increase in activations, and VPN Pro upgrades contributed to monetization efforts [3]. - Opera has returned $477 million to shareholders since 2020 through buybacks and dividends, and holds $392 million in cash and investments, including a $258 million stake in OPay [3]. Valuation and Market Position - Despite facing challenges such as declining gross margins and rising operating expenses, Opera's valuation remains attractive, trading below five-year averages with a PEG ratio of 0.93 [4]. - The stock offers a 42% upside to its fair value of $33.32, supported by strong solvency, diversified revenue streams, and high ARPU growth [4]. - The company has maintained 17 consecutive quarters above the Rule of 40, indicating scalable and profitable growth [3][4]. Recent Developments - The bullish thesis on Opera has been reinforced by its core browser strength, user growth in Opera GX, and disciplined shareholder returns, with the stock appreciating approximately 10% since March 2025 [5]. - The emphasis on AI integration, MiniPay growth, and consistent performance under the Rule of 40 highlights the company's ongoing potential [5].

Summary of Opera FY Conference Call - September 10, 2025 Company Overview - **Company**: Opera (NasdaqGS: OPRA) - **Industry**: Consumer Internet, Browser Development - **User Base**: Approximately 300 million users - **Revenue**: Approximately $600 million, growing over 20% year-over-year [2][3] Core Products - **Opera One**: Targeted at tech-savvy and design-oriented users [4] - **Opera GX**: Designed specifically for gamers, featuring high engagement and the highest Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) [5][6] Financial Performance - **EBITDA**: Positive around 23% with good cash conversion [3] - **Advertising Growth**: Over 100% year-over-year growth in e-commerce initiatives, with a focus on major partners like Amazon [10][12] - **Search Revenue**: Accounts for roughly one-third of total revenue, typically outgrowing Google's search revenue [20][21] Market Position and Strategy - **Market Share**: 4% in key regions, with significant growth potential [12] - **User Acquisition**: Focus on high ARPU user bases, particularly in Western markets [21] - **Advertising Strategy**: Performance-based partnerships with major global and regional players [15] Competitive Landscape - **Google Antitrust Case**: Recent ruling allows Google to continue paying revenue shares to traffic sources like Opera, which is beneficial for Opera's search revenue [24][28] - **Browser Competition**: Opera differentiates itself by focusing on niche markets rather than competing for the majority market share [4][43] Innovations and Future Growth - **AI Integration**: Launching a native AI browser called Neon, which enhances user productivity and monetization opportunities [37][38] - **MiniPay**: A stablecoin wallet with 9 million wallets and 250 million transactions, showing rapid growth in emerging markets [47][48] Capital Return Strategy - **Shareholder Returns**: Nearly $500 million returned since 2020 through buybacks and dividends, with a focus on maintaining a recurring dividend [58][59] Key Takeaways - Opera is positioned for continued growth in the browser market, leveraging its unique products and strong user engagement - The company is actively expanding its advertising and e-commerce initiatives, with a focus on high-value partnerships - Innovations in AI and financial services like MiniPay are expected to drive future growth and enhance user experience

Summary of Opera's 2025 Conference Call Company Overview - **Company**: Opera (NasdaqGS: OPRA) - **Industry**: Web Browsers and Internet Services - **User Base**: Approximately 300 million monthly users, with a significant presence in both emerging and Western markets [4][6] - **Revenue**: Close to $600 million, with a growth guidance of 23% for the year [4][5] Key Points and Arguments User Demographics and Growth - **Geographic Split**: 20% of users in Western markets, up from 6-7% previously, indicating successful market penetration [6][12] - **ARPU Growth**: Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) has tripled over the past four years, driven by higher monetization in Western markets [6][12] - **Target Audience**: Focus on tech-savvy users who appreciate feature-rich browsers, particularly in the gaming segment [6][10] Competitive Landscape - **EU Regulations**: The Digital Markets Act has positively impacted Opera, leading to a doubling of new iOS users in the EU [12][13] - **U.S. Market**: Ongoing partnership with Google for search revenue, with no expected changes following recent regulatory rulings [15][19] Artificial Intelligence Integration - **AI Features**: Introduction of AI functionalities in the flagship browser, Opera One, allowing users to interact with an AI agent [20][21] - **Opera Neon**: Upcoming AI-native browser designed to enhance user experience by integrating AI capabilities directly into the browsing process [24][27] Gaming Browser Opportunity - **User Base**: 33 million users of the gaming browser (Opera GX), with an average ARPU of $3.50, representing about 20% of total revenue [32][33] - **Market Expansion**: Plans to expand into key Asian markets like Japan and South Korea, which present significant growth potential [32][33] Growth Investments and Financial Strategy - **Investment Focus**: Prioritizing high-value user growth and product development, particularly for Opera One and Opera GX [34][41] - **Capital Return**: Nearly $500 million returned to shareholders since 2020, with a preference for dividends over buybacks to maintain liquidity [40][41] Future Outlook - **Strategic Priorities**: Focus on leveraging AI and enhancing browser capabilities to attract more users and increase brand awareness [44][47] - **Long-term Vision**: Emphasis on the evolving role of browsers in users' daily lives, with aspirations to innovate and provide alternatives in the market [46][47] Additional Important Insights - **Marketing Effectiveness**: Data-driven marketing strategies are in place to assess ROI and optimize campaigns for user acquisition [35][36] - **AI Partnerships**: Collaborations with Google and OpenAI for backend AI functionalities, while maintaining control over local processing [29][30] This summary encapsulates the key insights from Opera's conference call, highlighting the company's strategic direction, market positioning, and future growth opportunities.

Summary of Opera (OPRA) 2025 Conference Call Company Overview - **Company**: Opera - **Industry**: Internet and Software - **Monthly Active Users**: 289 million globally [1][8] - **Revenue Guidance**: Close to $600 million for the year, with a growth rate of approximately 23% [8][55] - **Profitability**: Company has maintained a "Rule of 40" status for 16-17 quarters, balancing growth and profitability [8] Product Portfolio - **Browsers**: Opera has developed a portfolio of browsers catering to different user needs, including Opera One, GX (for gamers), Air (mindfulness-focused), and Neon (AI-oriented) [21][27] - **AI Integration**: Opera Neon aims to integrate AI functionalities directly into the browsing experience, enhancing productivity for users [29][32] - **Target Audience**: Focus on tech-savvy users and specific segments like gamers, rather than a broad audience [27][54] Market Dynamics - **Partnership with Google**: Opera has a long-standing partnership with Google, which accounts for about one-third of its total revenue. Recent rulings allow Google to continue paying for traffic, which is beneficial for Opera [10][14] - **Browser Market**: The browser market is gaining more attention, with Opera positioning itself as a valuable player in the space, especially as AI companies highlight the importance of browsers [18][20] Financial Performance - **Revenue Composition**: Advertising revenue has grown significantly, now accounting for two-thirds of total revenue, while search revenue has become a smaller portion [71] - **ARPU Growth**: The average revenue per user (ARPU) has quadrupled over the past four years, with a 30% increase in the Western user base [55] Marketing Strategy - **Brand Awareness**: Opera spends approximately 30% of its revenue on marketing, focusing on influencers and tech media to build brand identity [59][60] - **Targeted Marketing**: The company targets specific user groups, such as gamers, to improve retention and engagement [66] Future Outlook - **Product Launch**: Opera Neon is set to launch soon, with expectations that it will leverage AI to enhance user productivity [43][45] - **E-commerce Growth**: E-commerce partnerships have seen over 100% year-over-year growth, indicating a strong revenue potential moving forward [76] Additional Insights - **User Base Strategy**: Opera has shifted focus from feature phone users in emerging markets to higher ARPU potential users in developed regions [53] - **Predictability in Revenue**: The company has a high degree of predictability in revenue generation due to the vast amounts of data collected from user interactions [78] Conclusion - **Overall Positioning**: Opera is strategically positioned in the browser market with a diverse product portfolio and a strong focus on integrating AI to enhance user experience. The company is also leveraging its long-term partnership with Google to maintain revenue growth and market presence.

Core Insights - The Zacks Internet - Content industry is facing challenges due to adverse macroeconomic conditions affecting ad spending, which is the primary revenue source for industry participants [1] - Despite these challenges, there is solid demand for digital offerings, particularly in video content and cloud-based applications, aided by the proliferation of AI and Generative AI [1] - Companies like Yelp and Opera Limited are expanding their presence in social media, display, connected TV, and search, contributing to top-line growth [1] Industry Description - The Zacks Internet - Content industry includes providers of video encoding platforms, personal services, Internet content, staffing, publishing, and online travel companies [2] - Advertising remains a major revenue source, prompting companies to enhance their digital presence and expand across various platforms [2] - The industry is experiencing rapid changes in consumer behavior and ongoing digitalization, with significant players located in the U.S., Israel, the U.K., Germany, Russia, and China [2] Trends Shaping the Industry - There is a growing demand for digital offerings, driven by technological advancements and the introduction of new products and services [3] - The proliferation of smart devices and increased automation in application development are positive indicators for industry growth [3] Industry Prospects - Marketing efforts are being intensified to boost website traffic, with advertising and subscriptions as key revenue sources [4] - The industry is sensitive to consumer spending trends, particularly during holiday seasons, but faces headwinds from macroeconomic challenges, persistent inflation, and higher interest rates [4] Regulatory Environment - Increased regulatory pressure is impacting industry participants, especially in China and the EU, with regulations affecting direct advertising and data protection [5] - The implementation of the Digital Markets Act in the EU aims to curb the market power of large online platforms, adding to the challenges faced by Internet content providers [5] Industry Ranking and Performance - The Zacks Internet - Content industry ranks 194, placing it in the bottom 21% of over 250 Zacks industries, indicating dull near-term prospects [6][7] - The industry's earnings outlook is negative, with a 2.8% decline in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 earnings since November 30, 2024 [8] Market Performance - The industry has underperformed compared to the broader Zacks Computer and Technology sector and the S&P 500, returning 6.1% over the past year versus 18.1% and 25.3% respectively [10] Current Valuation - The industry is currently trading at a trailing 12-month price-to-sales ratio of 6.49X, higher than the S&P 500's 5.62X but lower than the sector's 8.31X [13] Notable Companies - **Yelp**: Benefiting from higher ad spending and improved customer retention, but shares have declined 20.9% year-to-date [16][17] - **Opera Limited**: Experiencing an 8% year-over-year increase in search revenues, with a stable user base of 293 million, but shares have dropped 17.1% year-to-date [19][20]

Core Insights - Opera has launched Opera Translate, a built-in translation feature for its browsers Opera One and Opera GX, aimed at breaking down language barriers for users globally [1][2] - The translation feature supports over 40 languages and is designed to enhance user experience by allowing instant translation of web pages [2][3] - Opera GX has introduced custom animated cursors and improved tab management features, enhancing personalization and usability for gamers [5][10] Opera Translate - Opera Translate is integrated natively into Opera One and Opera GX, detecting different languages on web pages and offering instant translation [2] - The feature is powered by Lingvanex's AI technology and ensures data privacy by processing translations on Opera's European servers [3] - Users can choose to translate pages once or set preferences for automatic translation of specific languages [2] Opera One Updates - Opera One has improved its Split Screen feature, allowing users to access the toolbar in each tab while in Split Screen mode [4][8] - The update includes the ability to group tabs into Tab Islands, enhancing organization and navigation [10] - Users can now save entire Tab Islands as Speed Dials for easier access to frequently used tabs [10][15] Opera GX Enhancements - Opera GX has launched a "Browser Booster" update, introducing fully customizable animated cursors, enhancing the aesthetic experience for users [5][14] - The update includes over 30 cursor packs available for easy application without the need for third-party tools [5][15] - Tab Islands feature is now stable, allowing users to name and color-code their tab groups for better organization [10][15] User Experience Focus - The introduction of custom cursors aims to provide visual consistency across the browser, enhancing the overall user experience [7][14] - The updates reflect Opera's commitment to user-centric design, catering to the needs of gamers and general users alike [6][17] - Opera continues to innovate by integrating features that prioritize both functionality and personalization [16][17]

Core Insights - Opera Limited has launched a revamped version of its premium VPN service, VPN Pro, which offers device-wide protection and privacy for users on multiple devices [1][5] - The upgraded VPN Pro features improved server infrastructure, providing a minimum of 10Gb/s connectivity and access to 48 global locations, an increase of 15 locations from the previous version [2] - The new VPN Pro integrates the Lightway protocol, enhancing security and reliability while ensuring faster performance and battery efficiency, with built-in post-quantum protection [3][4] Product Features - VPN Pro allows users to protect up to six devices, including Windows, MacOS, and Android, and is available on Opera One, Opera GX, and Opera for Android [1][5] - The service maintains a strict no-log policy, ensuring that user data, personal information, and browsing activity are not collected or stored [4] - Existing users will automatically upgrade to the new version, while new users can try the enhanced service with a 7-day free trial [5] Company Background - Opera is a user-centric software company focused on providing a secure and innovative internet browsing experience, with a significant user base across mobile and desktop platforms [6] - Founded in 1995 and headquartered in Oslo, Norway, Opera is publicly traded on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol OPRA [6]

Group 1: Company Performance - Opera Limited's shares have declined by 15.3% over the past three months, underperforming the Zacks Computer and Technology sector's decline of 6% and the Internet–Content industry's increase of 0.8% [1] - The company has faced challenges due to rising cost pressures, with first-quarter operating expenses increasing by 47% year over year [1] - A significant 49% decline in operating cash flow year over year raises concerns about near-term liquidity and capital efficiency [1][6] Group 2: User Growth and Market Position - Opera's management has indicated stagnation in its monthly active user (MAU) base, which is hovering around 300 million, suggesting potential market saturation [3] - The stagnation in MAU growth could adversely affect Opera's monetization strategies, particularly in high-margin areas like advertising and search revenues that depend on user engagement [3] - Despite efforts to innovate with products like Opera Air and updates to Opera One and GX, the effectiveness of these initiatives in driving sustainable user growth remains uncertain [4] Group 3: Financial Challenges - The surge in operating expenses, driven by increased investments in personnel, infrastructure, and product development, is exerting downward pressure on operating margins and overall profitability [5] - The decline in operating cash flow and rising share-based compensation further complicate Opera's financial outlook, raising concerns about funding future initiatives [7] - To stabilize its financial position and create long-term value for shareholders, Opera must successfully drive user growth and manage costs effectively [7]

Core Insights - Opera Limited (OPRA) is expected to report first-quarter 2025 earnings on April 28, with anticipated revenues between $130 million and $133 million, reflecting a 29% year-over-year growth [1] - The consensus estimate for earnings is set at 26 cents per share, indicating a significant year-over-year increase of 52.94% [2] Revenue Growth Factors - The advertising business is projected to have continued its strong performance, growing 38% year-over-year in Q4 2024, driven by e-commerce segments and performance-based advertising models [3] - Solid growth in Western markets, particularly in Europe and the U.S., is attributed to increased iOS downloads and favorable regulatory shifts [4] User Engagement and Technology - Investments in AI technologies and the integration of AI features into new browser versions like Opera R2 and Opera One have enhanced user experience and engagement [5] - Opera GX, the gaming browser, has seen a 22% year-over-year increase in its user base, reaching 33.9 million monthly active users, contributing to revenue growth [6] Operational Considerations - Rising operational expenses, which increased from 27.1% in Q4 2024, may impact overall profitability in the upcoming quarter [7] Earnings Expectations - Opera Limited currently has an Earnings ESP of 0.00% and a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy), indicating mixed signals regarding the likelihood of an earnings beat [8]