Why Gene Munster Says Snap's Guidance Warning Is The First Of Many From Tech Firms

Snap, Inc's SNAP gloomy forecast revision is not an isolated event but a broader trend, according to Loup Funds Managing Partner Gene Munster.

What Happened: On Monday, Snap said it expects to miss its previously-issued guidance on revenue and adjusted EBITDA for the second quarter, causing its shares to slide in extended trading.

What Led The Tempering? This is the first time in a very long time that a company has guided down, just a month after issuing an outlook, Munster said in a series of tweets, adding that it was "a big deal."

The analyst is of the view the weakness may have to do with soft advertising dollars and/or competitive pressure. 

"It's likely advertisers starting to pare back some of their budgets."

While noting that Snap isn't a bellwether like Meta Platforms, Inc. FB or Alphabet, Inc. GOOGLGOOG, Munster said the company is still "representative of a rapidly changing environment around where the economy is going."

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Read-Across For Near-term?  Snap's warnings, according to the analyst — best known for his bullish stances on Apple Inc. AAPL and Tesla Inc. TSLA — may have implications for the June and September quarters.

"I think we're going to hear more commentary like we heard from Snap," he said.

"I hope I'm wrong, but I think we're going to hear that."

Munster, however, is hopeful of things improving in 2023. The weakness seen in 2022 sets up 2023 for a great year once all these growth rates start to rebase, the analyst said.

Price Action: Snap plunged 30.97% to $15.51 in after-hours trading Monday, according to  Benzinga Pro data.