DoorDash DASH posted first-quarter 2026 earnings of 42 cents per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 13.51%. The company had reported year-ago quarter’s earnings of 44 cents per share.
Revenues rose 33.1% year over year to $4.04 billion but missed the consensus mark by 2.14%. While top-line growth remained strong, net revenue margin moved lower to 12.8% from 13.1% in the year-ago quarter.
Following the results, DoorDash shares have rallied 10.38% in the pre-market trading.
DASH’s Q1 Details
In the first quarter of 2026, total orders increased 27% year over year to 933 million. The figure missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.45%. Total orders were driven by growth in consumers, average consumer engagement and the acquisition of Deliveroo.
Marketplace GOV increased 37% year over year to $31.6 billion. The figure beat the consensus mark by 0.34%.
DoorDash, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
DoorDash, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | DoorDash, Inc. Quote
The adjusted gross profit was $2.09 billion, up 33.1% year over year. The adjusted gross margin was flat on a year-over-year basis to 51.9%.
The contribution margin was 34.2% compared with 33.6% reported in the year-ago quarter.
Adjusted sales & marketing expenses rose 29.1% year over year to $715 million. Adjusted research & development expenses increased 50.5% year over year to $277 million. Adjusted general & administrative expenses surged 41.9% year over year to $349 million.
Adjusted EBITDA was $754 million, up 27.8% year over year. Adjusted EBITDA margin contracted 80 bps year over year to 18.7%.
DASH’s Balance Sheet and Cash Flow
As of March 31, 2026, DoorDash had $5.83 billion in cash, cash equivalents, and short-term marketable securities compared with $5.78 billion as of Dec. 31, 2025.
Net cash provided by operating activities totaled $594 million in the first quarter, which was down from $635 million a year earlier. Free cash flow was $420 million, which declined from $494 million in the year-ago quarter. This reflects the interplay of working-capital movement and investment spending.
DASH’s Q2 Marketplace GOV and EBITDA Guidance
For the second quarter of 2026, DoorDash expects Marketplace GOV in the range of $32.4-$33.4 billion and adjusted EBITDA of $770-$870 million.
For 2026, DoorDash expects stock-based compensation expense of approximately $1.3-$1.4 billion and depreciation and amortization expense of roughly $1.1-$1.2 billion, including about $450 million tied to acquired intangible assets.
DASH’s Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider
DoorDash currently carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).
Some better-ranked stocks in the broader Zacks Computer and Technology sector include Analog Devices ADI, Applied Materials AMAT and Audioeye AEYE. Each stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Shares of Analog Devices have gained 53.3% in the year-to-date period. Analog Devices is set to report the second quarter of fiscal 2026 results on May 20.
Applied Materials shares have gained 66.8% in the year-to-date period. Applied Materials is scheduled to report its second-quarter 2026 results on May 14.
Audioeye shares have lost 23.3% in the year-to-date period. Audioeye is set to report its first-quarter 2026 results on May 13.
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).