Advertising Pullbacks Pressured Pinterest (PINS) in Q1

TimesSquare Capital Management, an equity investment management company, released its “U.S. Mid Cap Growth Strategy” first-quarter 2026 investor letter. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. The Strategy fell 7.72% (net) in the quarter compared to -6.35% for the Russell Midcap Growth Index. In the first quarter, markets navigated geopolitical tensions and economic resilience alongside temporary global tariffs. High oil prices and supply chain disruptions followed U.S. and Israeli involvement in Iran, prompting a shift to safer assets and a reevaluation of supply chains and energy dependencies. Central banks maintained steady policies despite energy-driven inflation. In this environment, the Strategy remains focused on disciplined management teams with durable competitive advantages. Please review the Strategy’s top five holdings to gain insights into their key selections for 2026.

In its first-quarter 2026 investor letter, TimesSquare Capital U.S. Mid Cap Growth Strategy highlighted Pinterest, Inc. (NYSE:PINS). Pinterest, Inc. (NYSE:PINS) is a social media and visual discovery platform that enables users to find ideas, such as recipes, home, and style inspiration. On June 30, 2026, Pinterest, Inc. (NYSE:PINS) closed at $21.03 per share. One-month return of Pinterest, Inc. (NYSE:PINS) was 1.74%, and its shares lost 41.16% over the past 52 weeks. Pinterest, Inc. (NYSE:PINS) has a market capitalization of $11.78 billion.

TimesSquare Capital U.S. Mid Cap Growth Strategy stated the following regarding Pinterest, Inc. (NYSE:PINS) in its Q1 2026 investor letter:

“For the Communication Services sector, we prefer to invest in media and services companies that are either well placed from an advertising perspective for their target audience or that provide differentiated services. Pinterest, Inc. (NYSE:PINS) is an image-based social media platform. We exited our position following slower-than-expected fourth-quarter results and cautious guidance, attributed to advertising pullbacks by retailers impacted by tariffs. Its shares were down -44% while held in the quarter. The combination of softer-than-expected results along with lackluster forward guidance led us to liquidate the position.”

BMO Capital Sees AI Ad Improvements Supporting Growth at Pinterest (PINS)

Pinterest, Inc. (NYSE:PINS) is not on our list of 40 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds Heading Into 2026. According to our database, 49 hedge fund portfolios held Pinterest, Inc. (NYSE:PINS) at the end of the first quarter, compared to 53 in the previous quarter. In Q1 2026, Pinterest, Inc. (NYSE:PINS) delivered $1 billion in revenue, up 18% year over year. While we acknowledge the risk and potential of Pinterest, Inc. (NYSE:PINS) as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than Pinterest, Inc. (NYSE:PINS) and that has 10,000% upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

In another article, we covered Pinterest, Inc. (NYSE:PINS) and shared the list of best large cap stocks under $30 with highest upside potential. In addition, please check out our hedge fund investor letters Q1 2026 page for more investor letters from hedge funds and other leading investors.

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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.

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