Getty Images (GETY) shares opened more than 50% higher today after the stock images supplier inked a long-term licensing deal with Perplexity AI, a fast-growing tech startup based in California.
Under the terms of the agreement, Perplexity will integrate GETY’s broad library of creative and editorial imagery into its AI-powered search platform that currently processes roughly 150 million queries weekly.
Getty Images stock, however, failed at retaining the aforementioned gains and, in fact, ended down slightly on Friday. Year-to-date, it’s down about 8.5% at the time of writing.
The Perplexity partnership places strong emphasis on proper content attribution and creator recognition, potentially alleviating growing concerns about AI platforms using copyrighted content without proper compensation or attribution.
It positions GETY stock at the intersection of traditional visual content licensing and emerging AI technology.
Getty Images shares soared today mostly because this agreement could create new revenue stream for the NYSE-listed firm while also establishing ethical standards for future artificial intelligence content partnerships.
According to Nick Unsworth – the company’s VP of strategic development – “partnerships such as this support AI platforms to increase quality and accuracy of information delivered to consumers.”
While the Perplexity news sure is positive for GETY shares, the company’s fundamentals warrant caution.
Getty Images continues to operate at a loss and maintains negative profit margins, which indicate persistent challenges in monetizing its vast content library.
More importantly, the Seattle-headquartered firm is vulnerable to extreme volatility since it’s a penny stock.
Historically, Getty Images stock has tanked about 5% in November and over 4% in December, which hardly encourages an investment in it heading into 2026.
Despite aforementioned concerns, Wall Street analysts remain positive on Getty Images shares for the next 12 months.
The consensus rating on GETY stock currently sits at “Moderate Buy” with a mean target of $4.12 indicating more than 100% upside from here.
