HSBC Downgrades Pinterest (NYSE:PINS) to Hold

Pinterest (NYSE:PINS) was downgraded by equities research analysts at HSBC from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued to investors on Friday, Marketbeat reports. They currently have a $24.90 price objective on the stock. HSBC’s target price points to a potential upside of 12.62% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other equities research analysts have also weighed in on PINS. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Pinterest in a report on Monday, December 29th. Benchmark dropped their price objective on Pinterest from $48.00 to $39.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $33.00 target price (down previously from $35.00) on shares of Pinterest in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Rosenblatt Securities restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $30.00 target price (down previously from $49.00) on shares of Pinterest in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Finally, Wolfe Research set a $33.00 price objective on shares of Pinterest and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $38.00.

Pinterest Trading Down 1.1%

Shares of NYSE PINS opened at $22.11 on Friday. Pinterest has a 12 month low of $21.83 and a 12 month high of $40.90. The firm has a market capitalization of $14.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.68, a PEG ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 0.91. The business has a 50-day moving average of $26.03 and a 200-day moving average of $31.19.

Pinterest (NYSE:PINS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $0.38 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.42 by ($0.04). Pinterest had a return on equity of 8.20% and a net margin of 48.99%.The company had revenue of $1.05 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.05 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.40 EPS. Pinterest’s quarterly revenue was up 16.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that Pinterest will post 0.6 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Donnelly Julia Brau sold 22,821 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $25.86, for a total value of $590,151.06. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 540,358 shares in the company, valued at $13,973,657.88. This represents a 4.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, insider Malik Ducard sold 6,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $25.86, for a total transaction of $155,160.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 699,773 shares in the company, valued at $18,096,129.78. The trade was a 0.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 105,161 shares of company stock valued at $2,796,466 in the last ninety days. 7.06% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Pinterest

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI raised its position in shares of Pinterest by 24.1% during the fourth quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI now owns 11,141 shares of the company’s stock valued at $288,000 after buying an additional 2,164 shares during the last quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System purchased a new position in Pinterest in the fourth quarter worth about $10,629,000. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D boosted its holdings in shares of Pinterest by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D now owns 208,499 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,398,000 after purchasing an additional 3,448 shares during the period. Torren Management LLC purchased a new position in Pinterest during the fourth quarter worth $50,000. Finally, M&T Bank Corp boosted its stake in shares of Pinterest by 29.4% during the 4th quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 18,452 shares of the company’s stock worth $478,000 after purchasing an additional 4,189 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 88.81% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Pinterest

Here are the key news stories impacting Pinterest this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/market bulls argue 2026 is a “year of efficiency” — recent layoffs and cost cuts could unlock durable margin expansion and higher free cash flow, giving upside if execution continues. Pinterest: The ‘Year Of Efficiency’ Has Arrived, And I’m Loading Up
• Positive Sentiment: Commentary suggests layoffs and tighter cost structure could materially boost margins and valuation in 2026 if revenue holds, framing current weakness as a buying opportunity for long-term investors. Pinterest stock: why layoffs could drive it much higher in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Buy-side pieces highlight the tvScientific acquisition as a strategic lever for closed‑loop attribution and CTV ad growth, which could accelerate monetization and justify a higher multiple if integration succeeds. Pinterest: Buying The Attribution Singularity At Value Prices
• Positive Sentiment: Several outlets frame the multi‑year share decline as a rare buying opportunity based on low forward P/E and potential margin recovery; these stories may attract value investors looking for mean reversion. Is Pinterest (PINS) Offering A Rare Opportunity After A Sharp Multi‑Year Share Price Slide
• Neutral Sentiment: Market coverage notes the stock’s recent underperformance vs. peers and summarizes intraday moves, helpful context but not new fundamental news. Why Pinterest (PINS) Dipped More Than Broader Market Today
• Negative Sentiment: HSBC downgraded PINS from Buy to Hold with a $24.90 target — a sign of analyst caution that can limit near‑term momentum despite upside to the target. Finviz (HSBC downgrade)
• Negative Sentiment: Pomerantz launched an investor investigation into Pinterest, introducing legal/settlement risk that can pressure sentiment and increase uncertainty for investors. Pomerantz investor alert
• Negative Sentiment: Analysis arguing Pinterest’s model doesn’t fit typical social media multiples warns the market is discounting the stock because margin durability in downturns is unproven — a thematic headwind for re‑rating. Pinterest’s Business Model Doesn’t Fit Typical Social Media Valuations

Pinterest Company Profile

Pinterest, Inc operates a visual discovery platform that helps users find inspiration and ideas for projects ranging from home design and fashion to cooking and travel. Users create and curate “Pins” — images or videos linked to content — organized on thematic boards. The service is available through its website and mobile applications and emphasizes personalized recommendations and visual search to surface relevant content based on user interests.

The company’s primary revenue model is advertising, offering promoted content formats that integrate into user feeds and search results.