Fastly Inc. shares plunged steeply in morning trade after the edge cloud provider released first-quarter 2026 results following the previous session's close. The stock fell 34.45% in morning trading as investors engaged in pronounced profit-taking, even though the company reported headline beats on both revenue and non-GAAP earnings per share.
For the quarter ended March 31, 2026, Fastly posted total revenue of $173.0 million, representing 20% year-over-year growth. The results and an upward revision to full-year guidance failed to satisfy market expectations, however, after the stock had already climbed roughly 270% over the prior three months and nearly 450% over the previous year amid intense speculative interest.
In premarket action on Thursday, shares were down more than 21% despite the better-than-expected Q1 print and raised 2026 outlook - a signal that investors had priced in a much larger upside surprise. The company also provided guidance for the second quarter of 2026 that weighed on forward sentiment: revenue of $170.0 million to $176.0 million and non-GAAP EPS of $0.05 to $0.08, a material sequential decline from Q1's $0.13.
Management highlighted plans for increased infrastructure investment, projecting infrastructure capital expenditures as a percentage of revenue to rise to 10% to 12% in 2026, up from 5% in 2025. Company leadership characterized these investments as necessary to expand platform capacity, while acknowledging they "will serve as a modest headwind in 2026."
Analysts responded to the report with caution. Piper Sandler trimmed its price target to $27 from $30 and kept a Neutral rating, explicitly pointing to growth concerns after Q1 came in roughly inline rather than delivering the outsized beat some investors had expected following the stock's historic run higher.
The broader market did not act as a catalyst for the selloff. The S&P 500 was essentially flat at -0.05%, the Dow Jones measured -0.01%, and the NASDAQ ticked up +0.11%, indicating that the dramatic move in Fastly's share price was driven by company-specific factors rather than a general market downturn. Observers also noted unusually large call buying prior to the report, suggesting heavy speculative positioning that likely amplified the downside once the results failed to produce a blowout surprise.
CEO Kip Compton framed the quarter positively in remarks accompanying the release, saying the company delivered "record revenue, gross margin, and RPO," and that security revenue grew 47% year-over-year, driven by an accelerated innovation roadmap. Compton added that the results supported raising guidance for 2026.
Despite those operational highlights and the raised outlook, investors appeared unable to reconcile the company's stretched valuation after the rapid appreciation with a Q2 guide implying lower sequential profitability, an elevated capital spending trajectory, and continued insider selling. The combination of those elements sent Fastly to a session low of $20.14.
The episode underscores how elevated speculative positioning can magnify price moves when companies deliver results that meet but do not dramatically exceed lofty expectations. For Fastly, the interaction of robust headline metrics and a more conservative near-term profitability profile produced a swift market reassessment.
What to watch next
- Second-quarter execution against the guided revenue and EPS range.
- Progress and timing of the infrastructure buildout and its impact on margins.
- Insider activity and whether speculative options positions unwind further.