Square (NYSE: SQ) shares fell after hours as the company’s December-quarter financials beat analyst expectations but gross payment volume was slightly below estimates. The company is one of the fastest-growing fintechs in the world and has witnessed the popularity of its Cash App soar during COVID-19. In general, digital payment tech companies have been some of the biggest winners throughout the health crisis as they have made it easier for people and businesses to send and receive payments safely.
On Tuesday, the San Francisco-based company recorded better-than-expected Q4 results;
Adjusted earnings of $0.32 per share, up 39% year-over-year (YoY), beating the Street’s estimate of $0.24.
Revenues of $3.16 billion, up 141% YoY, smashed the consensus forecast of $3.11 billion.
Gross profit of $804 million, up 52% YoY, beating forecasts of $801 million.
Sales for its Seller system, which allows merchants to accept mobile card payments via a plastic dongle that’s inserted into a mobile phone, grew to $987 million.
Subscription and services-based income climbed to $449 million, up 60% YoY.
Square’s gross payment volume falls short
Shareholders were disappointed with Square’s gross payment volume (GPV) of $32 billion for the quarter, which was up 12% YoY but still fell short of Wall Street’s prediction of $32.1 billion. Square’s GPV provides investors with an overall picture of transaction volumes and is the main gauge of the total dollar amount being transferred through its payment services. The higher the volume of payments tracked by GPV, the more transaction revenue Square can generate.
Square stated that revenue growth was driven by more people using the Cash App to buy and sell Bitcoin. The mobile payments company benefited hugely from the recent Bitcoin rally, helping Square generate $1.76 billion in profit. Excluding Bitcoin, Square’s total net revenue increased to $1.4 billion, meaning the company was heavily reliant on cryptocurrency transactions on its platform during the quarter.
During the earnings call, Square also disclosed that it had invested a further $170 million into Bitcoin in addition to its earlier $50 million purchase. This investment could provide the company with further income down the line, yet the worry for investors here is that financial regulators might begin to crack down on Bitcoin.
Square is growing its user base
Square shares have surged over 16% year-to-date as investors largely ignored the threat of small businesses closing during the pandemic and how this could affect the company. Instead, shareholders focused on the growth of the company’s Cash App and how the service could help people make payments safely during the pandemic. At the end of 2020, its Cash App had 36 million users, up from 30 million at the end of Q3.
Square’s revenue growth is benefiting from the shift to e-commerce and growing popularity for its digital cryptocurrency transaction services offered by its Cash App. Whether investors need to be worried about Square’s reliance on Bitcoin is still a concern for many. However, Bitcoin continues to receive legitimacy in the eyes of the financial world as more companies like Tesla invest in it. This might just be a play that could work in the company’s favor but is still one that investors are watching closely.
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TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was down more than 200 points in late-morning trading, weighed down by losses in the technology, base metal and energy sectors, while U.S. stock markets also fell.
The S&P/TSX composite index was down 239.24 points at 22,749.04.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 312.36 points at 40,443.39. The S&P 500 index was down 80.94 points at 5,422.47, while the Nasdaq composite was down 380.17 points at 16,747.49.
The Canadian dollar traded for 73.80 cents US compared with 74.00 cents US on Thursday.
The October crude oil contract was down US$1.07 at US$68.08 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$2.26 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was down US$2.10 at US$2,541.00 an ounce and the December copper contract was down four cents at US$4.10 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 6, 2024.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 150 points in late-morning trading, helped by strength in technology, financial and energy stocks, while U.S. stock markets also pushed higher.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 171.41 points at 23,298.39.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 278.37 points at 41,369.79. The S&P 500 index was up 38.17 points at 5,630.35, while the Nasdaq composite was up 177.15 points at 17,733.18.
The Canadian dollar traded for 74.19 cents US compared with 74.23 cents US on Wednesday.
The October crude oil contract was up US$1.75 at US$76.27 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$2.10 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$18.70 at US$2,556.50 an ounce and the December copper contract was down less than a penny at US$4.22 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 29, 2024.
The crypto market has recently experienced a significant downturn, mirroring broader risk asset sell-offs. Over the past week, Bitcoin’s price dropped by 24%, reaching $53,000, while Ethereum plummeted nearly a third to $2,340. Major altcoins also suffered, with Cardano down 27.7%, Solana 36.2%, Dogecoin 34.6%, XRP 23.1%, Shiba Inu 30.1%, and BNB 25.7%.
The severe downturn in the crypto market appears to be part of a broader flight to safety, triggered by disappointing economic data. A worse-than-expected unemployment report on Friday marked the beginning of a technical recession, as defined by the Sahm Rule. This rule identifies a recession when the three-month average unemployment rate rises by at least half a percentage point from its lowest point in the past year.
Friday’s figures met this threshold, signaling an abrupt economic downshift. Consequently, investors sought safer assets, leading to declines in major stock indices: the S&P 500 dropped 2%, the Nasdaq 2.5%, and the Dow 1.5%. This trend continued into Monday with further sell-offs overseas.
The crypto market’s rapid decline raises questions about its role as either a speculative asset or a hedge against inflation and recession. Despite hopes that crypto could act as a risk hedge, the recent crash suggests it remains a speculative investment.
Since the downturn, the crypto market has seen its largest three-day sell-off in nearly a year, losing over $500 billion in market value. According to CoinGlass data, this bloodbath wiped out more than $1 billion in leveraged positions within the last 24 hours, including $365 million in Bitcoin and $348 million in Ether.
Khushboo Khullar of Lightning Ventures, speaking to Bloomberg, argued that the crypto sell-off is part of a broader liquidity panic as traders rush to cover margin calls. Khullar views this as a temporary sell-off, presenting a potential buying opportunity.
Josh Gilbert, an eToro market analyst, supports Khullar’s perspective, suggesting that the expected Federal Reserve rate cuts could benefit crypto assets. “Crypto assets have sold off, but many investors will see an opportunity. We see Federal Reserve rate cuts, which are now likely to come sharper than expected, as hugely positive for crypto assets,” Gilbert told Coindesk.
Despite the recent volatility, crypto continues to make strides toward mainstream acceptance. Notably, Morgan Stanley will allow its advisors to offer Bitcoin ETFs starting Wednesday. This follows more than half a year after the introduction of the first Bitcoin ETF. The investment bank will enable over 15,000 of its financial advisors to sell BlackRock’s IBIT and Fidelity’s FBTC. This move is seen as a significant step toward the “mainstreamization” of crypto, given the lengthy regulatory and company processes in major investment banks.
The recent crypto market downturn highlights its volatility and the broader economic concerns affecting all risk assets. While some analysts see the current situation as a temporary sell-off and a buying opportunity, others caution against the speculative nature of crypto. As the market evolves, its role as a mainstream alternative asset continues to grow, marked by increasing institutional acceptance and new investment opportunities.
