Why Ibotta Stock Soared in March 2025

Shares of mobile cash-back shopping service provider Ibotta (NYSE: IBTA) rose 26.4% in March, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. The stock entered March on a low note, following a disappointing earnings report at the end of February. From there, Ibotta proved to be resilient against marketwide and sector-deep bearish trends.

When running out of coupons is actually a good problem

Ibotta's March story really begins on Feb. 26. The company announced financial results that day, inspiring a 46.1% price drop on Feb. 27. Fourth-quarter sales fell 1% year over year, which was a sharp downturn from at least 15% growth in its first four earnings reports as a public company. Adjusted earnings dropped 32% lower to $0.67 per diluted share, falling short of Wall Street's consensus estimate of $0.71 per share.

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The company ran low on coupon-style offer budgets at the end of the fourth quarter. That's unfortunate timing, given the huge importance holiday shopping holds across the retail and advertising sectors. In short, people are so interested in Ibotta's cost-saving offers that the service ran out of deals to share.

So the large price drop makes sense in light of Ibotta's short history as a public company and dashed expectations of high-octane growth. But it's not surprising to see the stock bounce back quickly from that rock-bottom low. Out of all the problems a business might have, excessive interest in your service is one of the least painful options.

Many investors saw the massive price drop as a buying opportunity, starting a comeback as early as the following week. The company also accelerated the recovery on March 12, adding $100 million to its share buyback program. Issued in a time of low share prices, that announcement looked like a solid vote of confidence in the company's future.

Misery loves company in the adtech space

It should be noted that Ibotta has plenty of company in its recent misery. Other names in the digital advertising market have seen huge price drops in 2025. The Trade Desk trades 60% lower year to date and PubMatic took a 44% hit over the same period. The two adtech titans fell 14% and 22%, respectively, in March. Ibotta's 32% year-to-date price drop looks fairly gentle by comparison.

Ibotta's price-saving services should stay popular in this unpredictable economy, especially if inflation rates take off again. I'm not exactly rooting for that, and most Ibotta investors would probably prefer a more robust consumer market as well -- but the company seems poised to benefit from the unfavorable state of the American consumer market.

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Anders Bylund has positions in The Trade Desk. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Ibotta, PubMatic, and The Trade Desk. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.