Etsy

Etsy will prohibit the sale of AI-generated functional guides such as cooking recipes, crochet and sewing patterns, and will require sellers to show an actual, unedited photo of an item made from provided instructions. The marketplace also bars bot-generated listings without human involvement and requires disclosure when AI is used, while still allowing AI-generated art if creators play a clear role. The changes aim to restore buyer and seller trust amid confusion over AI content and rising competition from larger e-commerce players. » More on cnbc.com

Oppenheimer raised Etsy to Outperform and set a $90 target, citing AI search benefits, product improvements, higher app engagement and improving web traffic that could lift GMS toward the high end of guidance. The $90 target is based on 12x projected 2027 EBITDA and follows three consecutive quarters of Marketplace GMS growth and a new $2 billion share repurchase program. Etsy announced a restructuring to cut about 220 roles with roughly $35 million of charges, while purchase frequency remains below last year and short interest is still elevated, posing near-term risk to sustained buyer growth. » More on finance.yahoo.com

Etsy shares climbed about 3.3% in premarket trading after Oppenheimer raised its rating from "Perform" to "Outperform" and set a $90 price target. Analyst Jason Helfstein justified the upgrade citing AI-driven improvements in product search and presentation, as well as an internal web-traffic analysis that signals stabilization of buyer trends in the third quarter. Oppenheimer also highlighted a new partnership with Remitly that enables local payouts in 15 countries and supports international growth potential. The price increase is mainly company-specific, as the macroeconomic environment was neutral. » More on de.investing.com

Etsy gained about 3.9% in premarket trading after BofA Securities raised its rating from Neutral to Buy and increased the price target from $88 to $105. Rosenblatt also initiated a buy recommendation with a $95 price target, while Goldman Sachs reinstated a Neutral rating with a $89 price target. Analysts pointed to execution of the growth strategy under CEO Kruti Patel Goyal, strong Q2 results, a new $2 billion buyback program and job cuts as drivers of the optimistic assessments. » More on de.investing.com

Etsy beat expectations in Q2 with adjusted earnings of $0.98 per share and revenue of $668.3 million, but the stock fell after the company announced a restructuring plan. It will cut about 220 jobs (roughly 12% of the workforce) and expects Q3 charges of around $35 million. Analyst reactions were mixed: Canaccord raised its price target, while Evercore remained more cautious. The core marketplace's gross merchandise volume (GMS) grew 7.5%, and the GMS forecast for the year was raised to mid-single-digit growth. » More on de.investing.com