Shutterstock Disappointed by CMA's Provisional Decision
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Feb 19 2026
0mins
Should l Buy SSTK?
Shutterstock issued a statement on the UK Competition and Markets Authority's, or CMA, provisional decision: "We are pleased to see the CMA's progress with respect to the proposed merger between Shutterstock and Getty Images, particularly its provisional finding that the merger is not expected to result in competition issues in the global Stock content market. We are disappointed and disagree with the CMA's provisional finding that the merger may result in a 'substantial lessening of competition' in the UK Editorial market. We do not believe the analysis or interim conclusions reflect the composition of the UK market, the level of regional competition within it or the alternatives available to customers. We will continue to engage constructively with the CMA and expect to file our response to the CMA's interim report in line with the CMA's timeline. We also continue to work cooperatively with the U.S. Department of Justice as its review progresses."
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Stop guessing "Should I Buy SSTK?" and start using high-conviction signals backed by rigorous historical data.
Sign up today to access powerful investing tools and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
Analyst Views on SSTK
Wall Street analysts forecast SSTK stock price to rise
2 Analyst Rating
0 Buy
2 Hold
0 Sell
Hold
Current: 16.800
Low
28.85
Averages
28.85
High
28.85
Current: 16.800
Low
28.85
Averages
28.85
High
28.85
About SSTK
Shutterstock, Inc. provides a global creative platform for connecting brands and businesses to quality content. Its content is distributed to customers under various brands: Shutterstock; Pond5; TurboSquid; PicMonkey; PremiumBeat; Splash News; Bigstock; Envato and Offset. The Shutterstock brand includes various content types, such as image, footage, music and editorial. Pond5 is a video-first content marketplace which expands the Company’s content offerings across footage, image and music. TurboSquid operates a marketplace that offers more than one million 3D models, and a 2-dimensional marketplace derived from 3D objects. PicMonkey is an online graphic design and image editing platform. PremiumBeat offers music tracks and provides producers, filmmakers, and marketers the ability to search handpicked production music from the composers. Splash News provides editorial image and video content across celebrity and red carpet events. Envato offers digital creative assets and templates.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Canva Acquires Startups to Counter Market Challenges
- Acquisition Strategy: Canva's acquisition of startups Cavalry and MangoAI aims to bolster its competitive edge in animation and short video advertising, particularly as Adobe faces market pressures, demonstrating Canva's proactive approach to market changes.
- Technology Integration: Cavalry's animation technology will be integrated into Canva's core products and the Affinity application, enhancing user capabilities in motion graphics while allowing Cavalry to operate independently to meet diverse designer needs.
- Revenue Growth: Canva reported an annualized revenue exceeding $4 billion in 2025, a 36% increase year-over-year, indicating strong growth momentum in a competitive market, despite Adobe's market capitalization reaching $101 billion.
- AI Application Prospects: Canva plans to incorporate MangoAI technology into its Canva Grow advertisement generator, assisting users in analyzing video performance and optimizing content strategies, further enhancing product competitiveness and user experience.
See More
U.S. DOJ Approves Getty Images and Shutterstock Merger
- Merger Approval: The U.S. Department of Justice has approved the $3.7 billion merger proposal between Getty Images and Shutterstock, marking a significant advancement in their global market consolidation that is expected to enhance their competitive positioning.
- Waiting Period Expiration: The applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott Rodino Act has expired, allowing the two companies to begin merger preparations ahead of the final decision from the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
- Market Reaction: Although the merger news initially boosted the stock prices of both companies, Getty Images has now experienced its eighth consecutive day of decline, while Shutterstock's shares have also dipped slightly, indicating market caution regarding the merger's prospects.
- Future Outlook: In a joint statement, both companies expressed optimism regarding the CMA's final decision, hoping it will align with the DOJ and other global regulators, based on the merits of the transaction and market realities.
See More
Getty Images Merger with Shutterstock Cleared by DOJ
- Merger Approval: The U.S. Department of Justice has cleared the merger proposal between Getty Images and Shutterstock, marking a significant step towards resource integration and strengthening financial foundations, which is expected to create more investment opportunities in the future.
- Stock Surge: Following the merger announcement, Getty's stock price soared by 32.96% to 98 cents per share, reflecting strong market optimism about the merger's prospects and potentially attracting more investor interest.
- Expected Synergies: The companies anticipate achieving substantial synergies in sales, general and administrative expenses, and capital expenditures post-merger, which will enhance overall operational efficiency and profitability.
- Regulatory Review Progress: While the merger has been approved in the U.S., both companies are still engaging with the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority, hoping to secure final approval by April 19 to ensure a smooth merger process globally.
See More
UK Regulator Raises Concerns Over Getty-Shutterstock Merger
- Merger Competition Concerns: The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) stated that the proposed merger between Getty Images (GETY) and Shutterstock (SSTK) may reduce competition in the supply of editorial content in the region, although global stock content supply remains unaffected, highlighting regulatory vigilance over market concentration.
- Company Disagreement: Getty expressed disappointment with the CMA's provisional findings, arguing that the analysis does not accurately reflect the UK market's composition or the level of regional competition, indicating the company's ongoing confidence in the merger and potential efforts to secure regulatory approval.
- Transaction Scale: The merger is valued at $3.7 billion and has been under review by the CMA since August last year, following its announcement in January 2025, illustrating the complexity of regulatory scrutiny and the stringent oversight of large transactions.
- Poor Stock Performance: Over the past 12 months, GETY has lost more than two-thirds of its value, while SSTK has declined by over 40%, reflecting market concerns about the future prospects of both companies, which may impact merger negotiations and the final outcome.
See More
SHUTTERSTOCK INC: PLANS TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH CMA AND ANTICIPATES SUBMITTING RESPONSE TO CMA'S INTERIM REPORT ACCORDING TO SCHEDULE
Engagement with CMA: ShutterStock Inc. will continue to engage constructively with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
Response to Interim Report: The company expects to file its response to the CMA's interim report in line with the established timeline.
See More
Shutterstock Q4 Earnings Miss Expectations Significantly
- Earnings Miss: Shutterstock reported a Q4 non-GAAP EPS of $0.67, falling short by $0.46, indicating a significant decline in profitability that could negatively impact investor confidence.
- Revenue Decline: The company’s Q4 revenue of $220.2 million represents a 12% year-over-year decrease, missing expectations by $32.14 million, reflecting challenges from weak market demand and intensified competition.
- Content Revenue Drop: Revenue from content offerings decreased by $23 million, or 11%, to $189.6 million, accounting for 86% of total revenue, highlighting weaknesses in new customer acquisition that may hinder future growth prospects.
- Data and Services Revenue Fall: Revenue from data, distribution, and services declined by $7.1 million, or 19%, to $30.7 million, representing 14% of Q4 revenue, indicating pressure on the company’s diversification efforts in revenue streams.
See More
Canva Acquires Startups to Counter Market Challenges
- Acquisition Strategy: Canva's acquisition of startups Cavalry and MangoAI aims to bolster its competitive edge in animation and short video advertising, particularly as Adobe faces market pressures, demonstrating Canva's proactive approach to market changes.
- Technology Integration: Cavalry's animation technology will be integrated into Canva's core products and the Affinity application, enhancing user capabilities in motion graphics while allowing Cavalry to operate independently to meet diverse designer needs.
- Revenue Growth: Canva reported an annualized revenue exceeding $4 billion in 2025, a 36% increase year-over-year, indicating strong growth momentum in a competitive market, despite Adobe's market capitalization reaching $101 billion.
- AI Application Prospects: Canva plans to incorporate MangoAI technology into its Canva Grow advertisement generator, assisting users in analyzing video performance and optimizing content strategies, further enhancing product competitiveness and user experience.
See More
U.S. DOJ Approves Getty Images and Shutterstock Merger
- Merger Approval: The U.S. Department of Justice has approved the $3.7 billion merger proposal between Getty Images and Shutterstock, marking a significant advancement in their global market consolidation that is expected to enhance their competitive positioning.
- Waiting Period Expiration: The applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott Rodino Act has expired, allowing the two companies to begin merger preparations ahead of the final decision from the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
- Market Reaction: Although the merger news initially boosted the stock prices of both companies, Getty Images has now experienced its eighth consecutive day of decline, while Shutterstock's shares have also dipped slightly, indicating market caution regarding the merger's prospects.
- Future Outlook: In a joint statement, both companies expressed optimism regarding the CMA's final decision, hoping it will align with the DOJ and other global regulators, based on the merits of the transaction and market realities.
See More
Getty Images Merger with Shutterstock Cleared by DOJ
- Merger Approval: The U.S. Department of Justice has cleared the merger proposal between Getty Images and Shutterstock, marking a significant step towards resource integration and strengthening financial foundations, which is expected to create more investment opportunities in the future.
- Stock Surge: Following the merger announcement, Getty's stock price soared by 32.96% to 98 cents per share, reflecting strong market optimism about the merger's prospects and potentially attracting more investor interest.
- Expected Synergies: The companies anticipate achieving substantial synergies in sales, general and administrative expenses, and capital expenditures post-merger, which will enhance overall operational efficiency and profitability.
- Regulatory Review Progress: While the merger has been approved in the U.S., both companies are still engaging with the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority, hoping to secure final approval by April 19 to ensure a smooth merger process globally.
See More
UK Regulator Raises Concerns Over Getty-Shutterstock Merger
- Merger Competition Concerns: The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) stated that the proposed merger between Getty Images (GETY) and Shutterstock (SSTK) may reduce competition in the supply of editorial content in the region, although global stock content supply remains unaffected, highlighting regulatory vigilance over market concentration.
- Company Disagreement: Getty expressed disappointment with the CMA's provisional findings, arguing that the analysis does not accurately reflect the UK market's composition or the level of regional competition, indicating the company's ongoing confidence in the merger and potential efforts to secure regulatory approval.
- Transaction Scale: The merger is valued at $3.7 billion and has been under review by the CMA since August last year, following its announcement in January 2025, illustrating the complexity of regulatory scrutiny and the stringent oversight of large transactions.
- Poor Stock Performance: Over the past 12 months, GETY has lost more than two-thirds of its value, while SSTK has declined by over 40%, reflecting market concerns about the future prospects of both companies, which may impact merger negotiations and the final outcome.
See More
SHUTTERSTOCK INC: PLANS TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH CMA AND ANTICIPATES SUBMITTING RESPONSE TO CMA'S INTERIM REPORT ACCORDING TO SCHEDULE
Engagement with CMA: ShutterStock Inc. will continue to engage constructively with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
Response to Interim Report: The company expects to file its response to the CMA's interim report in line with the established timeline.
See More
Shutterstock Q4 Earnings Miss Expectations Significantly
- Earnings Miss: Shutterstock reported a Q4 non-GAAP EPS of $0.67, falling short by $0.46, indicating a significant decline in profitability that could negatively impact investor confidence.
- Revenue Decline: The company’s Q4 revenue of $220.2 million represents a 12% year-over-year decrease, missing expectations by $32.14 million, reflecting challenges from weak market demand and intensified competition.
- Content Revenue Drop: Revenue from content offerings decreased by $23 million, or 11%, to $189.6 million, accounting for 86% of total revenue, highlighting weaknesses in new customer acquisition that may hinder future growth prospects.
- Data and Services Revenue Fall: Revenue from data, distribution, and services declined by $7.1 million, or 19%, to $30.7 million, representing 14% of Q4 revenue, indicating pressure on the company’s diversification efforts in revenue streams.
See More
