Coinbase shares dive 26% after revenue miss
- Shares of Coinbase plunged Wednesday.
- The company said revenue fell 27% from the year-ago period, and usage on Coinbase declined from the fourth quarter.
- The earnings report comes as the digital currency market is experiencing a major sell-off.
Shares of Coinbase closed down 26% on Wednesday after the company reported shrinking revenue and declining users.
Coinbase said Tuesday that revenue fell 27% year-over-year to $1.17 billion, which was below Wall Street's projected $1.48 billion. It also said it lost $430 million in the first quarter.
Usage on Coinbase declined from the fourth quarter. Retail monthly transaction users slid to 9.2 million, down from 11.4 million in the fourth quarter. Total trading volume declined from $547 billion in the fourth quarter to $309 billion.
The earnings report comes amid a broader sell-off in the technology sector, and the crypto market is experiencing a major downturn. Bitcoin, the world's largest digital currency by market value, has fallen more than 50% from its peak price of $68,990.90 in November 2021. It was down about 6% as of Wednesday afternoon and traded below $30,000 for the second time this week.
Several firms cut their price target on Coinbase stock following the report.
"Revenue was below expectations across the board, while expenses ramped more quickly than anticipated to drive earnings meaningfully lower," JPMorgan analysts said in a note. The firm slashed its price target to $171 from $258.
Goldman analysts downgraded the stock to neutral, saying in a note to clients on Wednesday that they believe the Coinbase is unlikely to return to profitability in the near term.
"In an environment where the market is focused on profitability, recession risk, and the fading
of pandemic-driven exuberance in retail trading, we believe COIN's stock will struggle to outperform in the near term," the analysts wrote.
— CNBC's MacKenzie Sigalos and Michael Bloom contributed to this report.
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