Braze (NASDAQ: BRZE), which makes software that brands use to run customer marketing campaigns, saw its shares fall sharply after issuing weaker-than-expected profit guidance for the current quarter, overshadowing a second-quarter earnings beat and a raised full-year outlook.
The shares closed yesterday at $30.31, down 5.16% from Monday’s close of $31.96, then fell a further 10-12% in after-hours and pre-market trading following the results, according to market reports, a slide that would put the stock below its 50-day moving average of $27.12 and well under its 52-week high of $37.33.
Braze reported second-quarter revenue of $227.2m, up 26.2% year-on-year and above consensus of roughly $220.2m, with non-GAAP earnings per share of $0.19 versus expectations near $0.16. The company raised its full-year revenue guidance to $910m-$913m and non-GAAP EPS guidance to $0.64-$0.65, both above prior consensus. Chief executive Bill Magnuson said the results underscored “the essential role Braze plays for brands globally, delivering 26% year-over-year revenue growth alongside improving operating leverage and record second quarter free cash flow.”
The disappointment lay in guidance for the current quarter: non-GAAP EPS of $0.13-$0.14, below the roughly $0.16 consensus, even though third-quarter revenue guidance of $229m-$230m topped forecasts. Dollar-based net retention, a measure of how much existing customers increase their spending year-on-year, rose to 112% for customers with $500,000-plus in annual recurring revenue, from 111% a year earlier, while free cash flow hit a record $22m for the quarter, up from $3.5m a year earlier.
The Q3 profit guidance falling short of expectations despite the stronger revenue outlook suggests markets are pricing near-term profitability over headline growth in this reaction.
Total customer numbers rose to 2,789 as of 31 July, from 2,422 a year earlier, with customers spending $500,000 or more climbing to 361 from 282, underlining that the underlying business kept expanding even as the market focused on the softer quarterly profit outlook.