Quick Summary
Spotify Technology shares surged after the company beat earnings expectations, delivered stronger margins, and added more premium subscribers than forecast, easing fears after months of stock underperformance.
What Drove the Rally
Shares jumped ~12% premarket after results
Earnings: €4.43 per share vs €2.74 expected
Revenue: €4.53bn, +7% YoY, slightly above estimates
Gross margin: 33.1%, beating forecasts
Wall Street reaction: Profitability matters again — not just growth.
Subscriber Growth Still Solid
+9 million premium subscribers added in Q4
Growth beat analyst expectations despite recent price hikes
Analysts now expect ~289 million premium users
Key takeaway: Price increases are not (yet) driving users away.
Guidance: Confident, Not Flashy
For the current quarter, Spotify expects:
Revenue: €4.5bn (slightly below consensus €4.58bn)
Gross margin: 32.8%, above market expectations
Investors focused more on margin discipline than top-line perfection.
Why Sentiment Has Turned
Spotify has:
Rolled out price hikes globally, including the US and Europe
Expanded into video podcasts, audiobooks, and music videos
Improved monetisation while keeping engagement high
Notably:
68% of US premium users now use Spotify for audiobooks, up from 33% a year ago
Premium users get 15 audiobook hours per month, strengthening platform stickiness
Context: A Beaten-Down Stock
Stock down ~35% over the past year
~47% below its all-time high
Some analysts remain bullish, with price targets above US$750
This earnings beat is seen as a potential turning point, especially with price hikes now fully reflected in results.
Bottom Line
Spotify’s results show it can raise prices, grow subscribers, and expand margins at the same time. That combination is exactly what Wall Street has been waiting for — and why the stock finally found its rhythm again.

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