Pinterest, Inc. (NYSE: PINS) is back in the spotlight on December 22, 2025—not because of a surprise earnings report, but because today is a “mechanical catalyst” day for the stock: Pinterest is officially being added to the S&P MidCap 400 as part of S&P Dow Jones Indices’ quarterly rebalance. [1]
At the same time, investors are digesting a busy December for the company, including its planned acquisition of connected-TV (CTV) ad platform tvScientific and a fresh round of Wall Street rating changes that highlight a familiar tug-of-war: Pinterest’s improving performance-ad story versus macro pressure in advertising budgets and intense competition from larger platforms.
As of the latest available trading update, PINS traded around $26.58, up roughly 1.9% on the session, with the day’s range hovering roughly between $26.11 and $26.62. [2]
What’s driving Pinterest stock on Dec. 22: S&P MidCap 400 inclusion goes live
S&P Dow Jones Indices said it would implement index changes effective prior to the open of trading on Monday, December 22, to align with its quarterly rebalance—including adding Pinterest (PINS) to the S&P MidCap 400. [3]
Why that matters for PINS stock (in plain English):
- Index funds and ETFs that track the S&P MidCap 400 typically need to own the new constituents. That can create incremental demand around the rebalance window, particularly in the final trading sessions leading into the effective date and into the open.
- The effect is often more about flows and liquidity mechanics than a sudden change in Pinterest’s underlying business fundamentals.
In other words, today’s addition is a spotlight and positioning event—and it arrives while investors are already watching Pinterest closely after a sharp, guidance-driven selloff in November and a strategy-heavy December.
The other big December catalyst: Pinterest’s tvScientific acquisition and the CTV push
On December 11, 2025, Pinterest announced it entered a definitive agreement to acquire tvScientific, positioning the deal as a way to extend Pinterest’s performance advertising from mobile into connected TV. The company said the transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2026, subject to customary conditions and regulatory review, and that it does not expect the deal to have a material impact on financial results. [4]
The strategic logic Pinterest is pitching:
- Pinterest has an “intent-rich” audience—people saving and searching for ideas before they buy.
- tvScientific brings outcome-based CTV tools (the “can we measure what this TV spend actually did?” engine).
- Together, Pinterest aims to give advertisers a way to run performance-style campaigns across screens, with Pinterest Performance+ positioned as a core integration point. [5]
Industry coverage has also framed the planned purchase as a signal that Pinterest wants TV to behave more like search and social—measured, optimized, and accountable—rather than treated purely as brand advertising. [6]
Why investors have stayed jumpy since November: ads, tariffs, and competition worries
If December is about catalysts and positioning, November was about anxiety.
Reuters reported that Pinterest shares tumbled after the company’s outlook stoked concerns it was struggling to find the next growth gear amid:
- competition from bigger rivals with highly scaled AI ad stacks, and
- tariff-related pressure affecting retailer advertising budgets. [7]
In that report, Pinterest’s CFO pointed to “pockets of moderating ad spend” in the U.S. and Canada as retailers navigated tariff-related margin pressure, while Reuters also noted China-based retailers such as Temu and Shein scaling back marketing budgets amid tariff uncertainty and changes around the “de minimis” exemption. [8]
That backdrop matters because Pinterest’s bull case increasingly depends on it winning a larger slice of performance marketing budgets—budgets that are cyclical and fiercely contested.
Analyst forecasts for Pinterest stock: where price targets sit right now
Despite the headline volatility, the consensus on Pinterest remains broadly constructive—just not unanimous.
Across major market-data and research aggregators, the “average” 12‑month target tends to cluster in the mid-to-high $30s, implying meaningful upside from the mid‑$20s share price area:
- Investing.com’s compiled analyst view shows an average target around $36.93 (with a high of $48 and a low of $26, based on its displayed analyst set). [9]
- MarketBeat lists a consensus target near $38.97 and describes the overall rating as Moderate Buy. [10]
- StockAnalysis shows an average target around $38.86 with targets ranging from roughly $30 to $50, and a consensus rating labeled “Buy.” [11]
The most talked-about recent rating moves
BMO Capital: Outperform, $35 target
In a recent analyst note summarized by Investing.com, BMO reiterated Outperform and a $35 price target, pointing to shopping integrations and the strategic logic of the tvScientific deal. [12]
Wedbush: downgraded to Neutral, $30 target
TipRanks’ feed of “The Fly” report described Wedbush downgrading Pinterest from Outperform to Neutral and reducing its price target to $30, citing “agentic commerce” and “heightened AI risk” concerns. [13]
Morgan Stanley and Stifel: targets trimmed (per Investing.com recap)
The same Investing.com recap referenced Morgan Stanley cutting its price target to $32 from $41 while maintaining Overweight, and Stifel lowering its target to $40 from $47 while keeping a Buy rating—moves framed around softer revenue trends and macro pressures. [14]
The takeaway: Wall Street still sees Pinterest as a credible long-term compounding story, but “prove it” quarters remain mandatory—especially through tariff noise and ad-budget churn.
Technical analysis for Dec. 22: momentum looks positive, but watch the near-term levels
If you’re watching Pinterest stock through a trader’s lens, the technical picture (as shown in Investing.com’s indicators summary) is supportive but not euphoric:
- The technical summary shows moving averages leaning Strong Buy, while oscillators are more mixed. [15]
- RSI is shown in “Buy” territory, while Stoch RSI appears elevated (often interpreted as nearing overbought). [16]
- Pivot-point levels shown put the pivot around $26.39, with nearby resistance around the mid‑$26.60s and support in the low‑$26s (per the same technical table). [17]
This aligns with today’s tape: PINS is hovering around the mid‑$26 area, where a lot of “index inclusion + recent catalyst” interest is colliding with still-cautious sentiment from November’s guidance shock.
A fresh valuation take published today: “Down ~70% from all-time highs—good buy?”
One of the more widely shared longform takes dated Dec. 22, 2025 came from TIKR, which framed Pinterest as a stock down more than 70% from all-time highs and argued the recovery case depends on (1) performance advertising execution and (2) closing the international monetization gap. [18]
TIKR’s model-based scenario suggested PINS could reach about $39.33 by December 2027 under assumptions including ~15% annual revenue growth and 11% operating margins, noting these are model outputs rather than guaranteed outcomes. [19]
Whether you agree with that trajectory or not, it highlights what the market is really debating:
- Is Pinterest becoming a durable performance channel (and now, potentially, a cross-screen one)?
- Or does it remain a nice product with structural disadvantages versus giant ad ecosystems?
What to watch next: the February earnings window and 2026 catalysts
The next major “hard data” moment is earnings. Multiple earnings calendars currently point to early February 2026 for Pinterest’s next report, with some listings showing Feb. 5, 2026 and consensus EPS around the high‑$0.60s for the quarter (calendar estimates can shift until confirmed by the company). [20]
Between now and then, investors typically focus on four things for Pinterest stock:
- Advertising demand quality (especially U.S./Canada) after the tariff- and retailer-driven caution flagged in November coverage. [21]
- Performance+ adoption and ROI proof (are conversion and measurement improving enough to win budgets from bigger platforms?). [22]
- CTV integration timeline and whether tvScientific meaningfully expands Pinterest’s TAM (total addressable market) without margin surprises. [23]
- Index-related visibility after today’s S&P MidCap 400 inclusion—liquidity, ownership mix, and whether passive ownership changes the stock’s behavior around news. [24]
Bottom line: Pinterest stock gets a “mechanical” boost today, but fundamentals still decide 2026
On Dec. 22, 2025, Pinterest stock has a clean headline catalyst—S&P MidCap 400 inclusion—and the company has added strategic intrigue with a CTV performance advertising push via the planned tvScientific acquisition. [25]
But the market’s core question hasn’t changed: can Pinterest consistently grow and monetize its intent-rich user base in a world where ad budgets are pressured, and where the biggest platforms are fighting tooth-and-claw with AI-optimized advertising systems? [26]
That’s why today’s index event matters—but February’s earnings and 2026 execution will matter more.
References
1. press.spglobal.com, 2. www.investing.com, 3. press.spglobal.com, 4. investor.pinterestinc.com, 5. investor.pinterestinc.com, 6. digiday.com, 7. www.reuters.com, 8. www.reuters.com, 9. www.investing.com, 10. www.marketbeat.com, 11. stockanalysis.com, 12. www.investing.com, 13. www.nasdaq.com, 14. www.investing.com, 15. www.investing.com, 16. www.investing.com, 17. www.investing.com, 18. www.tikr.com, 19. www.tikr.com, 20. www.investing.com, 21. www.reuters.com, 22. investor.pinterestinc.com, 23. investor.pinterestinc.com, 24. press.spglobal.com, 25. press.spglobal.com, 26. www.reuters.com
