How Shopify Knocked Earnings Out of the Park Again

Shopify reported better than expected third-quarter results before the opening bell on Thursday, and yet shares were down shortly after the opening bell.

Published October 29, 2020, 9:54am ET · 2 min read

A close-up photograph of a backlit Shopify logo mounted on a brown wall. The logo features a bright, translucent green shopping bag icon with a solid white 'S' in its center, positioned to the left of the word 'Shopify' spelled out in illuminated white 3D letters.
The illuminated Shopify logo, featuring its signature green shopping bag and white lettering, symbolizes the company's prominent position in the e-commerce landscape. This visual underscores Shopify's ongoing evolution as it explores advancements like AI to reshape how merchants connect with customers. © opengridscheduler / Flickr

Shopify Inc. (NYSE: SHOP | SHOP Price Prediction) reported its most recent quarterly results before the opening bell on Wednesday. The up-and-coming e-commerce company posted $1.13 in earnings per share (EPS) and $767.4 million in revenue, better than consensus estimates that called for $0.53 in EPS and revenue of $663.4 million. The third quarter of last year reportedly had a net loss of $0.29 per share on $390.55 million in revenue.

During the latest quarter, Subscription Solutions revenue grew 48% to $245.3 million. This increase was driven primarily by an increase in the number of merchants joining the Shopify platform.

Merchant Solutions revenue grew 148%, to $517.9 million, driven primarily by the growth of gross merchandise volume (GMV).

As of September 30, monthly recurring revenue (MRR) increased 47% year over year to $74.4 million, up from $50.7 million at the end of September 2019. Shopify Plus contributed $18.7 million, or 25%, of MRR.

GMV for the third quarter was $30.9 billion, an increase of $16.1 billion, or 109%, over the third quarter of 2019. Gross payments volume grew to $14.0 billion, which accounted for 45% of GMV processed in the quarter, versus $6.2 billion, or 42%, for the third quarter of 2019.

Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities totaled $6.12 billion at the end of the quarter, up from $2.46 billion at the end of the previous fiscal year.

Shopify did not provide any guidance for the fourth quarter. However, the company did note that the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the growth of e-commerce, shifting a larger share of retail spending to online commerce. Analysts are calling for $0.71 in EPS and $788.99 million in revenue for the quarter.

Shopify stock traded down 2.1% to $1,005.26 early Thursday, in a 52-week range of $282.08 to $1,146.91. The consensus price target is $1,113.68.

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Chris Lange

Chris Lange is a financial and geopolitical writer with more than a decade of experience covering a myriad of topics. He has published thousands of articles for 24/7 Wall St., with past coverage focused heavily on stocks, IPOs, healthcare, defense, global affairs, and technology.

His work has been quoted, or referenced by a number of outlets including Business Insider, USA Today, Yahoo Finance, MSN, The Motley Fool, and many other publications. A graduate of Southwestern University, he studied business with a focus on investments and has previous experience in banking and startups.

When not reading or writing the news, he is following his passion for Lacrosse, playing chess, or building solar projects with his dad.

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