Breaking News
Investing Pro 0
Final hours: unlock premium data with Claim 60% OFF

Block Shares Show Potential Despite Significant Drop From Peak Price

Published Sep 20, 2023 23:56
Saved. See Saved Items.
This article has already been saved in your Saved Items
 
© Pavlo Gonchar / SOPA Images/Sipa via Reuters Connect
 
US500
+0.41%
Add to/Remove from a Portfolio
Add to Watchlist
Add Position

Position added successfully to:

Please name your holdings portfolio
 
AXP
-0.13%
Add to/Remove from a Portfolio
Add to Watchlist
Add Position

Position added successfully to:

Please name your holdings portfolio
 
DFS
+0.96%
Add to/Remove from a Portfolio
Add to Watchlist
Add Position

Position added successfully to:

Please name your holdings portfolio
 

In a notable downturn, shares of fintech firm Block, formerly known as Square (NYSE:SQ), are currently trading 81% lower than their peak price recorded in August 2021. Despite this decline, the company's share value has seen a 308% increase since its initial public offering in November 2015, significantly outpacing the S&P 500's 115% gain over the same period.

The company was established in 2009 by Jim McKelvey and Jack Dorsey to empower small businesses to process card payments directly through their mobile devices, filling a gap left by major banks and payment processors. Today, Block is a significant player in the fintech industry with its Square segment offering services like working capital loans, point-of-sale terminals, and invoicing tools to merchants.

In the three months ending on June 30, Square processed $54.2 billion in gross payment volume, marking a 12% year-over-year increase. The division also reported an 18% jump in gross profit during this period. The company estimates Square's total addressable market at $120 billion.

Another key component of Block's operation is Cash App—a user-friendly mobile app that offers basic banking services where traditional banks have been unable or unwilling to innovate. Cash App's gross profit surged by 37% in the most recent quarter, and it currently boasts of 54 million monthly active users.

Block aims to integrate the operations of Square and Cash App more closely, potentially transforming it into a closed-loop payments network similar to American Express (NYSE:AXP) or Discover Financial Services (NYSE:DFS). This would allow it to retain all transaction fees within its network.

The downturn in Block's stock could be attributed to increasing interest rates and dwindling investor enthusiasm for growth tech stocks. Currently, Block's shares are trading at a price-to-sales ratio of 1.6, close to their lowest ever, which might present a lucrative investment opportunity given Block's potential.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

Block Shares Show Potential Despite Significant Drop From Peak Price
 

Related Articles

Add a Comment

Comment Guidelines

We encourage you to use comments to engage with users, share your perspective and ask questions of authors and each other. However, in order to maintain the high level of discourse we’ve all come to value and expect, please keep the following criteria in mind: 

  • Enrich the conversation
  • Stay focused and on track. Only post material that’s relevant to the topic being discussed.
  • Be respectful. Even negative opinions can be framed positively and diplomatically.
  •  Use standard writing style. Include punctuation and upper and lower cases.
  • NOTE: Spam and/or promotional messages and links within a comment will be removed
  • Avoid profanity, slander or personal attacks directed at an author or another user.
  • Don’t Monopolize the Conversation. We appreciate passion and conviction, but we also believe strongly in giving everyone a chance to air their thoughts. Therefore, in addition to civil interaction, we expect commenters to offer their opinions succinctly and thoughtfully, but not so repeatedly that others are annoyed or offended. If we receive complaints about individuals who take over a thread or forum, we reserve the right to ban them from the site, without recourse.
  • Only English comments will be allowed.

Perpetrators of spam or abuse will be deleted from the site and prohibited from future registration at Investing.com’s discretion.

Write your thoughts here
 
Are you sure you want to delete this chart?
 
Post
Post also to:
 
Replace the attached chart with a new chart ?
1000
Your ability to comment is currently suspended due to negative user reports. Your status will be reviewed by our moderators.
Please wait a minute before you try to comment again.
Thanks for your comment. Please note that all comments are pending until approved by our moderators. It may therefore take some time before it appears on our website.
 
Are you sure you want to delete this chart?
 
Post
 
Replace the attached chart with a new chart ?
1000
Your ability to comment is currently suspended due to negative user reports. Your status will be reviewed by our moderators.
Please wait a minute before you try to comment again.
Add Chart to Comment
Confirm Block

Are you sure you want to block %USER_NAME%?

By doing so, you and %USER_NAME% will not be able to see any of each other's Investing.com's posts.

%USER_NAME% was successfully added to your Block List

Since you’ve just unblocked this person, you must wait 48 hours before renewing the block.

Report this comment

I feel that this comment is:

Comment flagged

Thank You!

Your report has been sent to our moderators for review
Continue with Google
or
Sign up with Email