Analysis-Digital ad minnows Snap, Pinterest soar past giant Meta

FILE PHOTO: The Snapchat app logo is seen on a smartphone in this picture illustration taken September 15, 2017. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration//File Photo

(Reuters) - For years, investors have wondered about the long-term prospects for Snap Inc and Pinterest Inc, smaller digital ad players which have had to pick up the ad dollar scraps left over from giant tech rivals.

This week, David triumphed over Goliath as Snap and Pinterest reported financial results that demonstrated how their smaller size, different advertiser base and relatively newer ad operations have helped them avoid the brunt of blows from Apple Inc's decision to require apps to ask iOS users for permission to collect certain data.