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Taboola.com(TBLA) - 2024 Q4 - Earnings Call Transcript
Taboola.comTaboola.com(US:TBLA)2025-02-26 18:04

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - In 2024, the company achieved ex-TAC gross profit of $667 million, representing a 25% growth year-over-year, and adjusted EBITDA of $201 million, which more than doubled from the previous year [13][42] - Free cash flow reached $149 million, exceeding the original target of $100 million by 49% and representing nearly three times the free cash flow compared to the prior year [13][46] - For Q4 2024, revenues reached $491 million, with ex-TAC gross profit of $212.7 million, growing 26% year-over-year [40][41] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The enterprise advertising business saw strong growth, contributing to the overall revenue increase, particularly with the onboarding of partners like Yahoo and Apple [42][14] - Adjusted EBITDA for Q4 was $92.3 million, growing 84% year-over-year, reflecting a 30.1% adjusted EBITDA margin [43][44] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company noted that the native advertising market alone is not sufficient to support its ambitious growth plans, as many advertisers prefer standard display ads over native formats [18][21] - The company identified a $55 billion opportunity in performance advertising beyond search and social, driven by challenges in the EdTech landscape and diminishing returns from social platforms [25][28] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company announced a strategic shift to expand beyond native advertising into the broader performance advertising market with the launch of its new platform, Realize [31][34] - The focus will be on leveraging first-party data and AI to enhance performance advertising capabilities and meet the needs of advertisers seeking better returns [36][38] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged that projected single-digit growth for 2025 is below historical rates and long-term ambitions, emphasizing the need to lay groundwork for accelerated growth [15][16] - The company plans to invest in scaling demand and strengthening partnerships while maintaining a focus on cash generation and shareholder value [15][53] Other Important Information - The board approved an additional $200 million for the share repurchase program, bringing the total authorization to approximately $240 million [50][52] - The company will introduce new metrics, including scaled advertisers and average revenue per scaled advertiser, to track growth in advertiser demand [55][56] Q&A Session Summary Question: Concerns about Amazon's new strategy affecting connectivity business - Management views Amazon's actions as an opportunity for growth in the open web and believes that retailers will continue to seek diverse revenue streams [60][64] Question: Limitations of mobile device ecosystem and CTV growth - Management believes that while CTV is primarily for branding, there is an opportunity for performance advertising outside of traditional channels [66][69] Question: Product changes with Realize and Q1 2025 guidance - Realize aims to provide more demand-side tools and access to various ad placements, while the guidance reflects a cautious approach to allow the new product to gain traction [75][86] Question: Revenue growth expectations and competition with established DSPs - Management is optimistic about the potential of Realize to unlock growth and believes that the company can differentiate itself by focusing on performance advertising [96][104]