Better-than-expected earnings + AI-driven app redesign boost confidence, Bumble up 25% in premarket trading

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Bumble stock surged 25% in pre-market trading on Thursday, driven by better-than-expected Q4 earnings and the company’s plan to overhaul its dating app with artificial intelligence at its core, aiming to win back younger users. This has reignited investor optimism.

Amid slowing growth in the online dating industry and “swipe fatigue” among young users, Bumble is attempting a highly anticipated business transformation. CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd is pushing forward with an AI-driven app redesign.

The company announced an upcoming version of Bumble 2.0, featuring a chapter-style profile layout that offers richer information beyond the traditional swipe interface. Herd mentioned that Bumble may experiment with a no-swipe mode in some markets while retaining the swipe feature in others.

J.P. Morgan analysts said, “Bumble still has a long way to go to achieve sustainable revenue growth, but with leading indicators stabilizing and the launch of Bumble 2.0 in Q2 expected to be a positive catalyst, we believe a ‘hold’ rating is no longer appropriate.” The firm also upgraded the stock to Neutral.

As AI tools are gradually implemented to improve match quality and user engagement, Bumble is joining Match Group’s Tinder and Hinge in accelerating innovation to adapt to changing user preferences.

J.P. Morgan analysts added, “Bumble is moving faster than we expected through the ‘contraction to seek growth’ phase, and the focus has now shifted to product innovation. The second half of the year will see new features like an AI dating assistant (Bee) and chapter-style profiles (reducing swipe reliance).”

Bumble reported Q4 revenue of $224.2 million, beating analyst estimates of $221.3 million; average revenue per paying user (ARPPU) rose 7.9% to $22.20.

Headquartered in Austin, Texas, the company’s stock has fallen over 20% this year. Its current valuation is 3.55 times expected earnings over the next 12 months, compared to 11.05 times for its competitor Match Group.

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Editor: Guo Mingyu

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