Advantage Solutions Inc Class A (ADV)

The past six months have seen several events impacting Advantage Solutions' stock price. The stock price experienced a significant decline over the past year, trading at $2.92 on January 1, 2025, and decreasing to $0.9397 by November 28, 2025. As of November 26, 2025, the closing stock price was $0.94, a notable drop from $3.51 on November 27, 2024. In Q1 2025, the company reported a 5% year-over-year decline in revenues and an increased net loss, attributed to planned client exits, transformation expenses, labor shortages, and reduced retail inventory. S&P Global Ratings downgraded Advantage Solutions Inc. in June 2024 due to weaker-than-anticipated profits and free operating cash flow, influenced by employee wage inflation, reorganization expenses, and increased technology support service costs. In Q2 2025, Advantage Solutions reported a 24% year-over-year decline in revenues, but exceeded revenue forecasts and anticipated flat to low single-digit declines in revenue and adjusted EBITDA for 2025. In Q3 2025, revenues were down 2.6% versus the prior year, and adjusted EBITDA was down 1.4% versus the prior year, but a sequential improvement from Q2, driven by strong performance in the Experiential segment.

Demand for Advantage Solutions' products and services exhibits seasonality, with the second half of the year generally being the peak season, particularly favoring Experiential and Retailer Services. The company anticipated improved performance in the second half of fiscal year 2024, driven by natural seasonality, new business wins, and the lapping of increased investments from the prior year. In Q2 2025, the demand for sampling and other experiential projects remained favorable for the second half of the year, especially for larger clients. The company also noted that the second half of the year is expected to be more heavily weighted in terms of performance compared to the first half of 2024.

Advantage Solutions Inc. is a provider of outsourced sales and marketing services to consumer packaged goods companies and retailers. The company operates within the Communication Services sector, specifically in the Advertising Agencies industry, and is also categorized under BPO/Outsource Services and Media and Information Services (B2B). Its core mission is to facilitate advantageous connections for its clients, enabling them to navigate complex retail environments, drive consumer engagement, and achieve sales objectives. Advantage Solutions offers a suite of data- and technology-driven services across three main segments: Branded Services, Experiential Services, and Retailer Services. Branded Services include brokerage, branded merchandising, and omni-commerce marketing services. Experiential Services focus on connecting shoppers with brands through in-store and online sampling, live events, and digital engagement programs. Retailer Services provide end-to-end solutions for retailers, encompassing private brand strategy, merchandising, retail media, aisle/shelf optimization, and advisory and agency expertise. The company also offers analytical services, such as retailer point-of-sale, primary market, and shopper research, as well as supply chain and logistics services.

Advantage Solutions Inc. has a significant market presence across North America, Asia Pacific, and Europe. The company maintains offices throughout North America and has strategic investments in select markets across Africa, Asia, Australia, and Europe, enabling it to serve the global needs of multinational, regional, and local manufacturers. While initially founded in Irvine, California, the corporate headquarters relocated to Clayton, Missouri, in early 2024.

While there is no direct information explicitly detailing "brand reputation" or specific events that have positively or negatively impacted it in the past year, the company's financial performance and credit rating downgrade provide indirect insights. The downgrade to 'B' by S&P Global Ratings in June 2024, citing weaker-than-anticipated profits and free operating cash flow, along with a decline in reported revenue, could implicitly affect the company's standing and perception among investors and potentially clients. Similarly, the reported net losses and revenue declines in Q1 and Q2 2025, despite some sequential improvements in Q3, suggest ongoing challenges that could influence stakeholder confidence.

Advantage Solutions Inc. has a diverse ownership structure, with significant institutional and insider holdings. Institutional shareholders own 31.12% of the company, while Advantage Solutions insiders own 73.86%. Major institutional owners include Leonard Green & Partners, L.P., CVC Management Holdings II Ltd., Atairos Partners GP, Inc., CastleKnight Management LP, BlackRock, Inc., T. Rowe Price Investment Management, Inc., Dimensional Fund Advisors Lp, Bain Capital Investors Llc, Geode Capital Management, Llc, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc., The Vanguard Group, Inc., and State Street Global Advisors, Inc. The largest individual Advantage Solutions shareholder is Karman Topco LP, owning 179.72 million shares, representing 55.08% of the company. Other significant individual owners include Adam Levyn, Jonathan D. Sokoloff, and Timothy John Flynn. Insider trading activity in the past 12 months shows 39 open market buys and 14 sells, with a net activity of 3,616,636 shares bought.