Snap stock slides ahead of earnings as traders brace for ad-demand update

Snap stock slides ahead of earnings as traders brace for ad-demand update

New York, Feb 3, 2026, 10:46 ET — Regular session

  • Snap shares dropped roughly 6% in early trading, continuing their recent streak of losses.
  • The company will release its fourth-quarter results after the market closes on Wednesday.
  • Investors are keeping an eye on ad demand, shifts in user behavior, and how stricter youth-safety regulations in major markets are shaping the landscape.

Snap (SNAP.N) shares dropped roughly 6% to $6.26 Tuesday morning, with investors bracing for the upcoming quarterly report. Analysts surveyed by MarketBeat are forecasting earnings near 15 cents per share on revenue around $1.70 billion. (MarketBeat)

The print matters because Snap serves as a key indicator for digital advertising, where budgets often tighten swiftly amid economic slowdowns or shifts in marketer spending. Smaller platforms tend to feel the impact earliest when caution sets in.

Snap’s results arrive amid a packed week of tech and consumer earnings, a period when investors often penalize even slight growth misses. With the stock already priced for minimal growth, guidance can hit harder than the quarter itself.

The stock ended Monday down 3.9% at $6.66, despite gains in the Nasdaq. Volume topped out at roughly 54.1 million shares, well above the average daily volume of 38.6 million, according to MarketWatch data. (MarketWatch)

Snap is scheduled to host its earnings call Wednesday at 2 p.m. Pacific (5 p.m. ET), per the company’s investor website. The market will zero in on Snap’s outlook and daily active users (DAUs), the key metric tracking how many people use the app each day. (Snap Inc. Investor Relations)

Regulation plays a role here as well. Regarding Australia’s Social Media Minimum Age law, Snap revealed it has locked or disabled over 415,000 accounts tied to users under 16 in the country. The company pushed back, saying “an outright ban for those under 16 is not the right approach.” (Snapchat Safety Hub)

Outside of earnings, Snap has been ramping up its augmented-reality efforts on the international stage. At Web Summit Qatar, Hussein Freijeh from Snap remarked, “We’re excited to return to Web Summit this year to showcase how augmented reality and artificial intelligence are shaping the digital transformation.” (Gulf Times)

Investors will be watching Snap’s ad performance closely, sizing it up against heavyweights like Meta Platforms and Alphabet, both battling for identical brand dollars in social and video.

Yet the setup works both ways. Snap’s shares could tumble further if its outlook falls short or if user growth and ad sales slow down. On the flip side, a forecast that beats expectations might trigger a quick rebound, even as challenges loom over the longer term.

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