Shares of Block (NASDAQ:SQ) are on the rise today, up 2% following a significant insider buy. Sequoia Capital purchased 434,405 shares of SQ stock at prices ranging between $56.85 and $57.82 on Aug. 6. While director Roelof Botha’s name is on the Form 4 disclosure, the purchase was made by Sequoia. This marks the second time in the past year that Sequoia, through Botha, has disclosed purchasing SQ.
During the past year, insiders at Block have purchased $52.51 million of SQ, with all buys attributed to Sequoia through its connection with Botha. In terms of sales, insiders have sold $44.35 million worth of shares, resulting in a net purchase of $8.16 million.
Block’s Struggles and Financial Performance
Block, along with other fintech companies like SoFi (NASDAQ:SOFI) and Upstart (NASDAQ:UPST), has faced challenges in the industry. The competitive nature of the fintech sector, particularly in payments, poses difficulties in establishing a sustainable moat against legacy players like Visa (NYSE:V) and Mastercard (NYSE:MA). Block’s Cash App also competes with Zelle and PayPal’s (NASDAQ:PYPL) Venmo.
Furthermore, Block’s sales growth has shown a consistent downtrend since the first quarter of 2023. While its second-quarter sales grew by 11.21% to $6.16 billion, it fell short of analyst estimates. However, the company’s adjusted EPS exceeded expectations at 93 cents, with gross profit growing by 20% to $2.23 billion.
Block returned to profitability in the fourth quarter of 2023 after eight consecutive quarters of negative GAAP EPS. Despite this positive development, the company still has room for improvement.
Overall, the insider buy from Sequoia Capital and the financial performance of Block indicate a mixed outlook for the company. Investors should closely monitor the company’s progress and industry trends to make informed decisions about their investments.
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