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Cardlytics Inc (CDLX)
NASDAQ:CDLX
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Cardlytics (CDLX) AI Stock Analysis

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CDLX

Cardlytics

(NASDAQ:CDLX)

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Underperform 40 (OpenAI - 4o)
Rating:40Underperform
Price Target:
$1.00
▼(-18.03% Downside)
Cardlytics' overall stock score is primarily impacted by its poor financial performance and bearish technical indicators. The company's high leverage and declining revenue present significant risks. While strategic initiatives and cost reductions offer some hope, the negative valuation metrics and oversold technical conditions weigh heavily on the stock's attractiveness.
Positive Factors
CRP Partnerships Expansion
The expansion of CRP partnerships, including with OpenTable, enhances Cardlytics' market reach and diversifies its advertiser base, potentially driving long-term revenue growth.
UK Revenue Growth
Strong revenue growth in the UK market indicates successful market penetration and operational effectiveness, contributing positively to Cardlytics' international expansion strategy.
Strategic Cost Reductions
The strategic cost reductions, resulting in $26 million in annualized savings, improve financial efficiency and provide a stronger foundation for future profitability.
Negative Factors
Revenue Decline
The significant revenue decline reflects challenges in maintaining sales momentum, impacting Cardlytics' ability to sustain growth and profitability.
Content Restrictions Impact
Content restrictions from a major FI partner limit Cardlytics' advertising capacity, posing a risk to revenue streams and necessitating diversification efforts.
High Leverage
High leverage increases financial risk and limits operational flexibility, potentially hindering Cardlytics' ability to invest in growth opportunities.

Cardlytics (CDLX) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

Cardlytics Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionCardlytics, Inc. operates an advertising platform in the United States and the United Kingdom. It offers Cardlytics platform, a proprietary native bank advertising channel that enables marketers to reach customers through their network of financial institution partners through digital channels, such as online, mobile applications, email, and various real-time notifications; and Bridg platform, a customer data platform which utilizes point-of-sale data and enables marketers to perform analytics and targeted loyalty marketing, as well as measure the impact of their marketing. The company was incorporated in 2008 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
How the Company Makes MoneyCardlytics generates revenue primarily through its advertising services, which are based on a performance model. The company's key revenue streams include fees from brands and advertisers for placing offers and promotions within its network. Additionally, Cardlytics earns revenue by charging financial institutions for the integration and use of its platform, allowing these institutions to enhance their customer engagement efforts. Strategic partnerships with major banks and financial service providers are crucial to its business model, as they facilitate access to a large pool of consumer transaction data, which in turn enhances the effectiveness of targeted advertising campaigns. The company's ability to analyze this data and deliver measurable results for advertisers is a significant contributor to its revenue growth.

Cardlytics Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Nov 05, 2025
(Q3-2025)
|
% Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Mar 03, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Neutral
The earnings call highlighted significant growth opportunities through new CRP partnerships and strong performance in the UK market, alongside strategic cost reductions leading to improved adjusted EBITDA. However, challenges with content restrictions and a major decline in billings and revenue present notable headwinds.
Q3-2025 Updates
Positive Updates
Expansion of CRP Partnerships
Cardlytics signed 3 new CRP partners, including OpenTable, which represents a significant growth opportunity by meeting more consumers where they are and unlocking new advertiser verticals.
UK Revenue Growth
The UK business showed a strong performance with a 22% year-over-year revenue growth, driven by higher billings and an increase in supply.
Improved Adjusted EBITDA
Despite top line challenges, Cardlytics achieved a positive adjusted EBITDA of $3.2 million, an increase of $5.0 million compared to the previous year.
High Adjusted Contribution Margin
Adjusted contribution margin reached 57.7%, the highest experienced to date, driven by a favorable partner mix and improved economics with new FI partners.
Strategic Cost Reductions
Cardlytics executed significant cost reductions, including a 30% workforce reduction, resulting in annualized cash savings of $26 million.
Negative Updates
Significant Decrease in Billings
Total billings decreased by 20.3% to $89.2 million due to content restrictions imposed by a major FI partner.
Revenue Decline
Revenue decreased by 22.4% to $52.0 million, primarily driven by a decrease in billings.
Challenges with Largest FI Partner
Content restrictions by the largest FI partner impacted the company's ability to sell larger budgets, with about 1/3 of total billings set to be blocked.
ACPU Decline
ACPU decreased by 31% year-over-year as a result of content restrictions and ramping of new FI partners.
Company Guidance
During the Q3 2025 earnings call, Cardlytics provided guidance indicating several key metrics and strategic initiatives. The company reported a 20.3% decrease in total billings to $89.2 million compared to the previous year, with a revenue decrease of 22.4% to $52.0 million, largely due to content restrictions from its largest financial institution (FI) partner. Despite these challenges, Cardlytics maintained a positive adjusted EBITDA of $3.2 million. The company saw a 21% increase in monthly qualified users (MQUs) to 230.3 million, driven by new FI partners, although the average consumer price unit (ACPU) dropped by 31% to $0.11. Looking ahead to Q4 2025, Cardlytics expects billings between $86 million and $96 million and adjusted EBITDA ranging from $0.9 million to $7.9 million. The company highlighted its focus on diversifying its supply and increasing engagement, with strategic partnerships such as the addition of OpenTable to its Cardlytics Rewards Platform (CRP), and efforts to improve advertiser demand through pilot programs with iconic brands. Additionally, Cardlytics is undertaking cost-saving measures, including a 30% workforce reduction, expected to yield $26 million in annualized savings. The company's outlook for 2026 emphasizes solidifying its foundation and growing its commerce media platform, with an aim to return to growth and profitability by leveraging new and existing partnerships.

Cardlytics Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Cardlytics faces significant financial challenges with declining revenue, high leverage, and negative cash flow growth. The income statement shows a negative net profit margin and declining revenue, while the balance sheet indicates high financial risk with a concerning debt-to-equity ratio and negative stockholders' equity. Cash flow challenges are evident with a negative free cash flow growth rate.
Income Statement
35
Negative
Cardlytics has experienced declining revenue growth with a negative rate of -5.65% in the TTM period. The company also faces significant profitability challenges, with a negative net profit margin of -68.87% and negative EBIT and EBITDA margins. Despite a relatively stable gross profit margin, the overall income statement reflects financial instability and declining performance.
Balance Sheet
30
Negative
The balance sheet shows a concerning debt-to-equity ratio of 3.75, indicating high leverage. The negative stockholders' equity and return on equity of -279.38% highlight significant financial distress. The equity ratio is also negative, suggesting potential solvency issues. Overall, the balance sheet reflects high financial risk and instability.
Cash Flow
40
Negative
Cardlytics' cash flow statement reveals a negative free cash flow growth rate of -52.11% in the TTM period, indicating declining cash generation. The operating cash flow to net income ratio is negative, reflecting cash flow challenges. However, the free cash flow to net income ratio is relatively high, suggesting some efficiency in converting net income to free cash flow despite overall negative cash flow figures.
BreakdownTTMDec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021Dec 2020
Income Statement
Total Revenue251.18M278.30M309.20M298.54M267.12M186.89M
Gross Profit111.46M120.89M130.38M112.63M103.34M63.27M
EBITDA-73.98M-152.53M-99.00M-420.41M-88.21M-40.78M
Net Income-110.83M-189.30M-134.70M-465.26M-128.56M-55.42M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets292.81M392.71M574.14M691.24M1.26B422.54M
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments43.96M65.59M91.83M121.91M233.47M293.24M
Total Debt221.43M221.65M266.11M235.26M197.23M188.11M
Total Liabilities297.51M322.72M439.35M479.63M573.10M265.35M
Stockholders Equity-4.70M69.99M134.80M211.60M690.70M157.19M
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow-9.64M-28.12M-12.58M-67.39M-51.09M-17.71M
Operating Cash Flow-741.00K-8.82M-185.00K-53.90M-38.52M-7.60M
Investing Cash Flow-17.11M-18.75M-10.06M-15.76M-506.69M-10.12M
Financing Cash Flow-5.31M1.44M-20.03M-39.99M486.00M206.43M

Cardlytics Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Negative
Last Price1.22
Price Trends
50DMA
1.92
Negative
100DMA
1.72
Negative
200DMA
1.86
Negative
Market Momentum
MACD
-0.20
Positive
RSI
36.50
Neutral
STOCH
17.91
Positive
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For CDLX, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 1.22 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 1.51, below the 50-day MA of 1.92, and below the 200-day MA of 1.86, indicating a bearish trend. The MACD of -0.20 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 36.50 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 17.91 is Positive, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for CDLX.

Cardlytics Risk Analysis

Cardlytics disclosed 56 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Cardlytics reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks

Cardlytics Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (60)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
78
Outperform
$1.04B6.6415.37%0.32%69.78%
78
Outperform
$1.72B36.754.48%15.51%39.60%
65
Neutral
$863.99M191.844.55%43.12%
62
Neutral
$1.30B13.296.26%5.70%97.88%
60
Neutral
$48.67B4.58-11.27%4.14%2.83%-41.78%
53
Neutral
$720.02M168.521.21%1.65%11.18%
40
Underperform
$65.95M-341.04%-14.41%65.67%
* Communication Services Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
CDLX
Cardlytics
1.22
-2.75
-69.27%
ZD
Ziff Davis
32.83
-24.88
-43.11%
QNST
Quinstreet
14.07
-8.71
-38.24%
CRTO
Criteo SA
19.79
-22.55
-53.26%
EEX
Emerald Expositions Events
3.64
-1.11
-23.37%
IAS
Integral Ad Science
10.26
-0.93
-8.31%

Cardlytics Corporate Events

Cardlytics’ Earnings Call: Growth Amid Challenges
Nov 7, 2025

Cardlytics, Inc. recently held its earnings call, revealing a mixed sentiment among its stakeholders. The company is optimistic about its growth prospects through new partnerships and strong UK market performance. However, it faces significant challenges due to content restrictions and a notable decline in billings and revenue.

Cardlytics Reports Q3 2025 Financial Results
Nov 6, 2025

Cardlytics, Inc., a commerce media platform, leverages first-party purchase data to enhance customer loyalty and drive incremental sales for advertisers and publishers, with significant visibility into card-based transactions in the U.S. and U.K. In its third-quarter 2025 financial results, Cardlytics reported a revenue of $52 million, marking a 22% decline from the previous year. Despite this, the company managed to reduce its net loss by 50% year-over-year, highlighting a strategic focus on financial health and growth initiatives.

Business Operations and Strategy
Cardlytics Announces Major Workforce Reduction Plan
Negative
Oct 2, 2025

On October 1, 2025, Cardlytics, Inc. announced a workforce reduction plan affecting approximately 90 full-time employees, about 24% of its workforce, as part of a broader cost-reduction initiative. This plan aims to optimize the company’s cost structure, with expected non-recurring charges of $2.3 million primarily in the fourth quarter of 2025. Additionally, on October 2, 2025, Cardlytics revealed a broader cost savings initiative, reducing its workforce by 120 employees and contractors, representing 30% of its total workforce. This move is projected to save at least $26 million annually and is part of efforts to achieve positive adjusted EBITDA for 2025 and 2026.

The most recent analyst rating on (CDLX) stock is a Hold with a $3.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Cardlytics stock, see the CDLX Stock Forecast page.

Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.Date of analysis: Nov 21, 2025