Zeta Global Holdings Corp. (NYSE: ZETA) experienced a significant 24-hour plunge of 5.11% on Thursday, despite reporting better-than-expected first-quarter earnings. The company's stock price decline continued the after-hours trading trend, where shares had already dropped more than 6% following the release of its financial results.

Zeta Global's Q1 performance was impressive, with earnings per share of $0.21, significantly beating the analyst consensus estimate of $0.11. This represents a 200% increase from the same period last year. The company's quarterly sales also exceeded expectations, coming in at $264.42 million, surpassing the analyst consensus estimate of $254.19 million by 4.02%. Additionally, the adjusted EBITDA of $46.7 million outperformed the estimated $44.5 million.

However, despite these positive results, investors seemed to focus on other aspects of the report. The company reported a net loss of $22 million for the quarter, which may have contributed to the negative sentiment. Moreover, while Zeta Global provided guidance for Q2 and full-year revenue and adjusted EBITDA, the market's reaction suggests that these projections may not have met investor expectations. The stock's decline indicates that market participants are reassessing the company's growth trajectory and profitability potential, overshadowing what would otherwise be considered a strong quarterly performance.