Feb 6 (Reuters) - Pinterest ( PINS ) forecast

first-quarter revenue above market estimates on Thursday,

betting on the image-sharing platform's artificial

intelligence-powered advertising tools to boost ad spend.

The forecast followed better-than-expected record monthly

active users and revenue during the fourth quarter, thanks to a

robust holiday shopping season.

Advertisers turn to Pinterest ( PINS ) for its AI-driven ad tools

such as Performance+ suite, designed to help advertisers better

target users with automation features.

"Our strategy is paying off. People are coming to Pinterest ( PINS )

more often, the platform has never been more actionable," CEO

Bill Ready said in a statement.

Rising Gen Z users and new shoppable content have made the

platform more lucrative for marketers.

That is bolstered by Pinterest's ( PINS ) third-party ad deals with

Google and Amazon.com ( AMZN ), which are expanding and helping

the company to diversify its revenue streams.

Ecommerce merchants such as those on Shopify ( SHOP ) or

Adobe Commerce can integrate their products into Pinterest ( PINS ) by

using platform-specific extensions that are offered by the

company.

Its first-quarter revenue forecast of $837 million to $852

million was above analysts' average estimate of $832.8 million,

according to data compiled by LSEG.

The company expects adjusted core earnings of $155 million

to $170 million, above the average estimate of $140.8 million.

Global monthly active users on the platform were at an

all-time high of 553 million, exceeding estimates of 545.8

million. They rose 11% from a year earlier.

Revenue in the fourth quarter ended December 31 grew 18% to

$1.15 billion, compared with estimates of $1.14 billion.

Adjusted profit per share of 56 cents missed estimates

of 65 cents due to certain tax adjustments in the quarter.