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PDD Holdings Q1 Earnings Lag Estimates, Revenues Increase Y/Y

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Key Takeaways

  • PDD posted Q1 non-GAAP EPS of $1.38 per ADS, down 11.5% Y/Y and below estimates.
  • PDD Holdings revenue rose 17.5% to $15.4B, driven by transaction services up 20% in RMB terms.
  • PDD ended March with RMB 436.1B in cash and investments, backing longer-cycle ecosystem initiatives.

PDD Holdings Inc. Sponsored ADR (PDD - Free Report) posted first-quarter 2026 non-GAAP earnings of $1.38 per ADS (American Depositary Share), which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.23 by 38.12%. The figure decreased 11.5% year over year. In domestic currency (Renminbi), the company reported earnings of RMB 9.51, down 16.7% year over year.

Quarterly revenues totaled $15.4 billion, up 16.8% year over year, but below the consensus mark of $15.90 billion by 3.4%. In domestic currency, revenues increased to RMB 106.2 billion, reflecting a 11% year-over-year rise. The top line was supported by continued momentum in transaction services, which increased 20% in Renminbi terms.

Revenues by Segments

Online marketing services and other revenues, representing 47% of total revenues, rose to RMB 49.9 billion ($7.2 billion), up 2.5% from the year-ago quarter.

Transaction services revenues, which accounted for 53% of total revenues, were RMB 56.3 billion ($8.2 billion), reflecting a 20% increase from the year-ago quarter.  

            PDD Holdings Inc. Sponsored ADR Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

PDD Holdings Inc. Sponsored ADR Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

PDD Holdings Inc. Sponsored ADR price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | PDD Holdings Inc. Sponsored ADR Quote

Management tied its longer-term growth agenda to deeper supply chain work, with a focus on improving product standards, logistics capabilities and platform governance. The company emphasized that it is prioritizing ecosystem and supply chain investments over optimizing near-term financial outcomes.

PDD’s Q1 Operating Details

In the first quarter, sales and marketing expenses were RMB 33.8 billion ($4.9 billion), up from RMB 33.4 billion in the year-ago quarter.

General and administrative expenses were RMB 1.6 billion ($229 million), down from RMB 1.7 billion year over year.
    
Research and development expenses were RMB 4.4 billion ($640 million), up from RMB 3.6 billion on a year-over-year basis. The increase was driven by a sustained investment cycle tied to its strategy.

Non-GAAP operating profit was RMB 21.1 billion ($3.8 billion), up 15.3% year over year from RMB 18.3 billion. The margin expanded to 19.9% from 19.1% in the prior year.

PDD’s Balance Sheet & Cash Flow

As of March 31, 2026, cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments were RMB 436.1 billion ($63.2 billion), up from RMB 422.3 billion as of Dec 31, 2025. The balance sheet position continues to provide flexibility as the company leans into longer-cycle initiatives.

Other non-current assets were RMB 95.2 billion ($13.8 billion) as of March 31, 2026, compared with RMB 104.7 billion as of Dec. 31, 2025.

Net cash generated from operating activities was RMB 16.4 billion ($2.4 billion), up from RMB 15.5 billion in the prior quarter, supporting liquidity even as the company described ongoing ecosystem investments

PDD’s Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider

Currently, PDD carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Some better-ranked stocks in the broader Zacks Retail-Wholesale sector are Aramark (ARMK - Free Report) , Casey's General Stores (CASY - Free Report) and Ross Stores (ROST - Free Report) , each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Shares of ARMK have gained 44.7% year to date. It is set to report third-quarter fiscal 2026 results on Aug. 4.

Shares of CASY have gained 41.9% year to date. It is set to report fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 results in June. 9.

Shares of ROST have gained 29.6% year to date. It is scheduled to report second-quarter fiscal 2026 results on Aug. 20.

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