AppLovin misses quarterly revenue estimates amid advertising competition

Feb 11 (Reuters) - Marketing platform AppLovin missed market estimates for fourth-quarter sales on Wednesday, ‌indicating tepid demand for its advertising services ‌amid increasing competition and an uncertain macroeconomic environment.

Companies ranging ​from Big Tech to up-and-coming advertising platforms have been fighting each other for prized ad dollars, creating an increasingly competitive landscape, challenging providers such ‌as AppLovin.

Shares of ⁠the company fell nearly 3% in extended trading, after the company reported December ⁠quarter sales of $1.66 billion, missing analysts' average estimate of $1.70 billion according to data compiled by ​LSEG.

Social media ​giant Meta Platforms bidding ​heavily into Apple's ‌iOS traffic would be a genuine challenge as increased density in ad auctions could increase ad pricing and compress net margins, analysts at Jefferies said in a note ahead of earnings.

A cautious ‌spending environment has also ​emerged from uncertain macroeconomic conditions, ​with enterprises across ​industries holding back on big expenses ‌as they prioritize spending ​on artificial intelligence ​integration and mission-critical applications.

AppLovin's fourth-quarter net income grew 84% to $1.10 billion.

Still, the company forecast ​first-quarter sales ‌between $1.75 billion and $1.78 billion, above estimates of $1.67 ​billion.

(Reporting by Arsheeya Bajwa in Bengaluru; Editing ​by Krishna Chandra Eluri)