AppLovin Corp (APP) Q4 2024 Earnings Call Highlights: Record Revenue Growth and Strategic Shifts

In This Article:

  • Total Revenue: $1.37 billion, a 44% increase year-over-year.

  • Adjusted EBITDA: $848 million, a 78% increase, with a 62% margin.

  • Free Cash Flow: $695 million, up 105% year-over-year.

  • Cash and Cash Equivalents: $741 million at the end of Q4.

  • Advertising Revenue: $999 million with $777 million in adjusted EBITDA, achieving a 78% margin.

  • Apps Revenue: $373 million, a 1% decrease from last year, with $71 million in adjusted EBITDA at a 19% margin.

  • Annual Revenue: $4.7 billion, a 43% increase from last year.

  • Annual Adjusted EBITDA: $2.72 billion, an 81% increase, with a 58% margin.

  • Annual Free Cash Flow: $2.1 billion, representing a 76% flow-through from adjusted EBITDA.

  • Share Repurchase: 25.7 million shares repurchased for $2.1 billion at an average price of $83 per share.

  • Q1 2025 Advertising Revenue Guidance: $1.030 billion to $1.050 billion, with adjusted EBITDA between $805 million and $825 million.

  • Q1 2025 Apps Revenue Guidance: $325 million to $335 million, with adjusted EBITDA between $50 million and $60 million.

Release Date: February 12, 2025

For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.

Positive Points

  • AppLovin Corp (NASDAQ:APP) achieved a 44% increase in total revenue year-over-year, reaching $1.37 billion in Q4 2024.

  • Adjusted EBITDA increased by 78% to $848 million, with a strong margin of 62%.

  • The company generated $695 million in free cash flow, marking a 105% increase year-over-year.

  • AppLovin Corp (NASDAQ:APP) is expanding its advertising platform beyond gaming, successfully attracting a broader set of advertisers, including e-commerce.

  • The company is transitioning to a pure advertising platform, focusing on productivity, automation, and building lean, high-impact teams, with a notable $3 million in run rate adjusted EBITDA per employee in the advertising business.

Negative Points

  • AppLovin Corp (NASDAQ:APP) is still developing its systems and lacks full self-service capabilities, which limits its ability to handle growth at scale.

  • The company experienced a step function increase in data center costs, impacting the flow-through from revenue to adjusted EBITDA.

  • There is uncertainty regarding the timing and extent of growth from the e-commerce segment, making it difficult to predict its material contribution in 2025.

  • The company is in the process of divesting its Apps business, which could lead to a decrease in revenue from this segment.

  • AppLovin Corp (NASDAQ:APP) faces challenges in expanding its platform to include non-gaming app advertisers and websites, requiring further development and integration efforts.