Direct Digital Holdings (DRCT) 2026财年第二季度业绩电话会：营收下滑，AI战略稳步推进

核心要点

• 2026财年第二季度营收从上年同期的1010万美元降至780万美元，主要是由于需求方平台（DSP）客户的支出减少了250万美元。
• 毛利润为270万美元，毛利率从2025财年第二季度的35%收窄至34%。
• 净亏损从420万美元收窄至360万美元，而调整后EBITDA亏损从150万美元扩大至230万美元。
• 上半年营收为1450万美元。剔除DSP客户销售额减少450万美元的影响，营收同比增加约70万美元，增幅为5%。
• Direct Digital Holdings在本季度推出了AI搜索和生成式引擎优化产品。管理层报告称现有客户和潜在客户的需求强劲，同时强调这一战略转型仍处于早期阶段。
• 季度末现金及现金等价物为50万美元。公司未能遵守其信贷协议下的某些财务契约，并已向贷方申请豁免。

关键财务数据

2026财年上半年，营收总计为1450万美元，而上年同期为1830万美元。管理层表示，在剔除DSP客户销售额减少450万美元的影响后，营收同比增长约5%。

业务与经营业绩

Direct Digital Holdings继续推进2026财年第一季度宣布的战略转型，将业务整合为更加精简的模式。公司正寻求实现项目储备多样化、拓宽客户关系并扩展产品能力。

在第二季度，公司推出了AI搜索和生成式引擎优化服务。公司还在拓展AI支持和网络基础架构技术服务，管理层表示，这可以获取新的技术预算，并帮助客户提高转化表现、降低获客成本。

管理层将公司的定位描述为从媒体支持演变为更广泛的数字增长合作伙伴。然而，转型仍处于早期阶段，DSP客户活动的减少继续对报告的营收构成拖累。

在截至2026年6月30日的六个月里，占营收约80%的客户群体中留存率约为80%。管理层还表示，公司保持灵活性，以评估可补充其平台的战略合作伙伴关系及其他机遇。

风险与核心关注点

• 需求方平台（DSP）客户支出下降导致第二季度营收减少250万美元，上半年销售额减少450万美元。
• 季度末现金及现金等价物降至50万美元，而现金加上应收账款降至320万美元。
• 截至2026年6月30日，Direct Digital Holdings未能遵守其现有信贷协议下的某些财务契约。
• 公司已申请豁免，并表示与贷方的讨论具有建设性，但相关流程仍在进行中。
• 管理层警示称，其以AI搜索、生成式引擎优化和技术服务为核心的战略仍处于早期阶段。

业绩电话会议完整文字记录

完整财报电话会议逐字稿

管理层陈述

Operator

Good day, everyone, and welcome to the Direct Digital Holdings Second Quarter 2026 Conference Call. As a reminder, this call is being recorded. At this time, I would like to hand things over to Walter Frank, Investor Relations. Please go ahead.

Walter Frank

Thank you. Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to Direct Digital Holdings Second Quarter 2026 Earnings Conference Call. On today's call are Direct Digital Holdings Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mark Walker; and Chief Financial Officer, Diana Diaz. Information discussed today is qualified in its entirety with the Form 8-K and accompanying earnings release, which has been filed today by Direct Digital Holdings, which may be accessed at the SEC's website and the company's website. Today's call is also being webcast, and a replay will be posted to Direct Digital's Investor Relations website.

Immediately following the speaker's presentation, there will be question and answer session. Please note that the statements made during the call, including financial projections or other statements that are not historical in nature, may constitute forward-looking statements. These statements are made on the basis of Direct Digital's views and assumptions regarding future events and business performance at the time they are made, and we do not undertake any obligation to update these statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, which could cause Direct Digital's actual results to differ from its historical results and forecasts, including those risks set forth in Direct Digital's filings with the SEC, and you should refer to those for more information.

This cautionary statement applies to all forward-looking statements made during this call. During the call, Direct Digital will be referring to non-GAAP financial measures. These non-GAAP measures are not prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures is available in the earnings release that Direct Digital filed in its Form 8-K today. I will now hand over the conference to Mark Walker, Chief Executive Officer. Please go ahead, Mark.

Mark Walker

Thanks, Walter, and thank you to everyone joining our call today. I'll start by reviewing some of the highlights of our operations and financial results during the second quarter and first half of 2026. Before turning the call over to our Chief Financial Officer, Diana Diaz, for a more detailed look at our financial results, we'll conclude by opening the call for a brief Q&A. We saw encouraging progress in our core business during the second quarter. To recap, during the first quarter of 2026, we announced a comprehensive shift in our strategy that saw us aggregate our operations to a streamlined model to sharpen our focus on the areas where we believe we can create the greatest value for both our clients and our shareholders. We believe that by diversifying our pipeline, broadening our customer relationships and enhancing our product capabilities, we're positioning ourselves to drive more consistent, scalable long-term growth.

We successfully unveiled AI search and GEO offerings this past quarter and are seeing strong demand from current clients and prospective new clients as well as our AI support and web infrastructure technology services, which will both expand our addressable market. These products unlock new technology budgets and the technical upgrades we provide clients service performance multipliers that improves conversion performance and lowers cost to acquire for our new clients. We're seeing our technical expertise position us with clients as a comprehensive digital growth partner rather than just supporting the media needs and leaning into helping companies facing conversion bottlenecks. Demand is strong, but it's important to remember that we're still in the early stages of this shift.

Total revenue was down in the quarter related to decreased activity from our demand-side platform customers, which is expected as we continue to shift our strategy. In fact, excluding the impact of reduced spending from DSP customers, total revenue increased approximately 5% year-to-date when compared with the first 6 months of 2025. While these numbers seem small compared to our historical results, they are trending in the right direction. Our value proposition is heightened by complete alignment across our digital supply platform. We're technology and media agnostic and our clients rely on us to provide the best opportunity their brands and businesses to achieve enhanced market reach through strategic digital advertising.

Strong relationships we have built are evidenced in our client retention rate of approximately 80% among clients that represent approximately 80% of our revenue for the 6 months ended June 30, 2026. We still have a tremendous amount of work to do, but we're operating from a much stronger foundation and driving measurable results. Additionally, we have the flexibility to evaluate strategic partnerships and opportunities that complement and enhance the strength of our platform with the goal of driving shareholder value. As always, I sincerely appreciate your support of Direct Digital Holdings. I will now hand the call over to Diana Diaz, our Chief Financial Officer, who will walk through some of the financial highlights in further detail.

Diana Diaz

Thank you, Mark, and good evening, everyone. I'll now provide a review of our second quarter results with some commentary on year-to-date results where relevant. Consolidated revenue in the second quarter of 2026 was $7.8 million compared to revenue of $10.1 million in the second quarter of last year. As Mark mentioned, revenue declined in the quarter related to a decrease in spending by demand-side platform customers of $2.5 million. On a year-to-date basis, revenue of $14.5 million decreased compared to $18.3 million in the first half of last year. Excluding the decrease in sales to DSP customers of $4.5 million for the first half of the year, revenue grew about $700,000 or 5% year-over-year.

Gross profit was $2.7 million for the second quarter of 2026 or 34% of revenue compared with $3.6 million or 35% of revenue in the second quarter of 2025. Operating expenses in the second quarter of 2026 decreased 7% to $5.6 million compared to $6 million in the second quarter of 2025. Total operating loss for the second quarter was $2.9 million compared with an operating loss of $2.4 million in the second quarter of 2025. Net loss in the second quarter was $3.6 million compared to a net loss of $4.2 million in the second quarter of last year. And the adjusted EBITDA loss for the second quarter was $2.3 million compared with adjusted EBITDA loss of $1.5 million in the second quarter of last year. Turning to the balance sheet. We ended the quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $500,000 compared to $700,000 at the end of December 2025.

Total cash plus our accounts receivable balance as of June 30, 2026, was $3.2 million compared to $3.9 million at the end of 2025. Related to our current credit facility, we were not in compliance with certain financial covenants as of the end of the quarter. We are actively engaged with our lender and have requested a waiver. Discussions have been constructive. And while the process remains ongoing, our current focus is on improving operating performance and working toward a mutually acceptable resolution. We will provide further updates when appropriate. Our focus continues to be on driving operational efficiencies and managing the business with financial discipline, and we're strategically investing in the business to capitalize on opportunities and drive sustainable long-term growth. Now I'd like to turn it back over to Mark for some closing comments.

Mark Walker

Thank you, Diana, and thank you to everyone for joining. We appreciate your interest in Direct Digital Holdings and I would like to now open the call for questions. Operator, please open the line.

Operator

[Operator Instructions] Everyone, there are no questions. That does conclude our conference for today. We would like to thank you all for your participation. You may now disconnect.