Weibo Loses Nearly 30 Million Monthly Active Users In One Year

Weibo Corp. (NASDAQ:WB) stock fell Thursday after the Chinese social media company reported mixed first-quarter 2026 results, as revenue topped Wall Street estimates but earnings missed expectations.

Revenue Tops Estimates, EPS Misses

Weibo reported first-quarter revenue of $421.3 million, up 6% from a year earlier and above the analyst consensus estimate of $417.9 million. On a constant-currency basis, revenue increased 1% year over year.

Adjusted earnings came in at 34 cents per share, missing analyst expectations of 36 cents per share.

Advertising and marketing revenue rose 9% year over year to $369.8 million, driven by favorable foreign-exchange impacts and stronger advertising demand from sectors including internet services, automobiles and local services.

Advertising and marketing revenue excluding contributions from Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (NYSE:BABA) increased 10% year over year to $326.5 million.

Value-added services revenue declined 11% year over year to $51.6 million, mainly due to lower revenue contribution from game-related businesses.

User Metrics Decline

Weibo reported 562 million monthly active users in March 2026, down from 591 million a year earlier. Average daily active users declined to 254 million from 261 million in the prior-year period.

Adjusted operating margin narrowed to 28% from 33% a year earlier, while adjusted operating income fell 7.5% year over year.

As of March 31, 2026, the company held $2.59 billion in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments.

Cash provided by operating activities totaled $164 million during the quarter, while capital expenditures were $11.9 million. Depreciation and amortization expenses amounted to $15.5 million.

Weibo Focuses On AI And Video Growth

Chief Executive Officer Gaofei Wang said the company remains focused on improving user retention, engagement quality and sustainable growth by optimizing its information-feed experience and improving conversion efficiency for new users.

Wang said Weibo's video business continued to drive engagement growth, with time spent on video playback pages increasing at a double-digit rate year over year during the quarter as the company expanded original video content and improved recommendation algorithms.

He also highlighted Weibo's AI initiatives, including AI-powered content creation tools, AI-generated video features and upgraded multi-turn AI search functions aimed at improving content discovery and creator productivity.

According to Wang, AI-related content and discussions became an increasingly important contributor to ecosystem growth, while industries including internet services, local services and automobiles supported advertising growth through AI marketing campaigns, product launches and celebrity-driven promotions.

WB Price Action: Weibo shares were down 4.27% at $7.80 at the time of publication on Thursday, according to Benzinga Pro data.

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