Globant SA (GLOB) delivered a mixed bag for its third quarter, missing earnings expectations while managing to eke out a slight revenue beat. It's the kind of quarter that doesn't get anyone particularly excited.
The company posted earnings of $1.53 per share on Thursday, which came up a penny short of the $1.54 analyst consensus. Revenue landed at $617.143 million, topping estimates of $615.376 million by a modest margin. Not terrible, but not exactly the kind of performance that gets Wall Street cheering.
CEO and co-founder Martín Migoya struck an optimistic tone despite the miss, emphasizing the company's long-term AI strategy. "We remain committed to our long-term growth strategy, deeply rooted in our differentiated value proposition based on four pillars: our AI Pods, subscription model, AI Studios, and Globant Enterprise AI platform," Migoya said. "During this past quarter, we announced AI-transformational projects for several of our top clients from industries like energy, sports and gaming, which shows the strong results of our focus on high potential 100-squared accounts."
He continued: "Our approach will remain clear: to be the partner of choice for organizations looking to implement AI across multiple layers. This vision, combined with our entrepreneurial culture, will continue to position us as leaders as we execute AI implementations that are both tangible and meaningful."
The market wasn't particularly moved by the AI talk. Globant shares slipped 0.7% to close at $62.41 on Friday.
What the Analysts Are Saying
Analysts adjusted their outlook following the earnings report, and the revisions skewed downward. Needham analyst Mayank Tandon kept a Buy rating on the stock but lowered the price target from $85 to $80. Meanwhile, JP Morgan analyst Tien-Tsin Huang maintained a Neutral stance while trimming the target from $78 to $75.
The pattern is clear: even the bulls are getting a bit more cautious about near-term prospects, though some still see value in the company's AI positioning over the longer haul.