Shopify stock plummets 19% after it warns of a sales slowdown

The e-commerce platform expects the sale of its logistics business to impact its second quarter revenue

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Shopify went public in May 2015.
Shopify went public in May 2015.
Illustration: Reuters (Getty Images)
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E-commerce platform Shopify is expecting sales to slow down in the coming quarter, despite a double-digit increase during its first quarter.

Shares of Shopify plunged by 19% in early hours, trading at $62, after it reported first quarter earnings, in which it warned that the sale of its logistics business would impact second quarter revenue.

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The Canadian company, which provides online merchants with infrastructure to run their business, said it expects revenue to grow at a high-teens percentage rate during the second quarter. That outlook is in stark contrast to the 23% increase in revenue it made during the first quarter of this year.

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Shopify pointed to its sale of its logistics business to Flexport in May 2023 as the main reason for its drag in sales.

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For the first quarter, Shopify said it swung to a net income loss of $273 million, or $0.21 cents a share, compared with a profit $68 million, or $0.50 cents a share, it made during the same period last year.

That didn’t keep Shopify from modestly beating Wall Street’s expectations. During the first quarter, the global e-commerce company reported revenue of $1.86 billion, about $0.20 cents a share. Analysts forecasted it would report $1.85 billion, approximately $0.17 cents a share. It’s revenue was largely led by its merchant solutions unit, according to the company’s earnings release.

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“Looking ahead, we are committed to upholding our operational discipline and strong execution,” Jeff Hoffmeister, Shopify’s CFO, in a statement.