Fintech Tailwind and Cheap Valuation Make StoneCo a Buy Today

StoneCo Ltd. STNE, a leading provider of financial technology solutions in Brazil, stands to benefit significantly from the global fintech market’s accelerating growth. As the market, valued at $340.10 billion in 2024, is projected to surpass $1.12 trillion by 2032 at a CAGR of 16.2% (Fortune Business Insights report), companies like StoneCo that offer digital payment processing and cloud-based financial services are poised for substantial growth.The increasing adoption of cloud computing, AI-driven fraud detection and mobile-first financial services aligns closely with StoneCo’s business model. The surge in demand for real-time payments and secure digital transactions — trends especially prominent in emerging markets —further strengthens StoneCo’s strategic positioning across Latin America’s evolving digital economy.In the past three months, StoneCo shares have skyrocketed roughly 54.9%, outpacing the broader Internet–Software industry and the S&P 500 benchmark, which have improved by about 4.3% and 2.4%, respectively. During this time, StoneCo has also outpaced key fintech peers such as PagSeguro Digital PAGS and DLocal Limited DLO. While PagSeguro, known for its digital payment and financial services tailored to small and mid-sized businesses, gained 30.9%, cross-border payment platform DLocal advanced 18.2%.Three-Month Price ComparisonImage Source: Zacks Investment ResearchTwo Major Tailwinds Driving STNE StockRepricing Power Accelerates Profitability: StoneCo’s first-quarter 2025 results highlight the success of the strategic repricing initiatives, which helped drive gross profit by 19% year over year, well above its annual guidance of 14%. By adjusting prices across its client base in response to 2024’s yield curve spike, the company not only protected margins but also enhanced earnings per share by 36%, doubling the 18% growth pace projected for the full year.Deposit Growth and Monetization of PIX Drive Financial Expansion: StoneCo continues to benefit from strong growth in its financial ecosystem. Client deposits rose 38% year over year to R$8.3 billion, with R$6.3 billion placed in time deposits under its cash sweep strategy, cutting funding costs and improving capital strength. Meanwhile, PIX transactions jumped 95% and are now monetized like debit payments. This helps offset declines in card usage, boosts deposit inflows, and supports future lending and efficiency.Average Target Price for STNE Suggests an UpsideBased on short-term price targets offered by nine analysts, StoneCo is currently trading 11.6% below its average Zacks price target.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchSTNE Trading CheapSTNE stock’s Value Score of B suggests a discounted valuation at this moment.This is evident from the price/earnings ratio. StoneCo shares currently trade at 9.26X forward earnings, well off its five-year high of 87.87X and below its median of 21.13X. The stock is also trading significantly below the industry’s price/earnings ratio of 37.60. The stock is also trading below DLocal’s 16.4X forward earnings. PagSeguro Digital, meanwhile, trades at 6.96X. Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchWhy STNE Looks Like a Strong Buy Right NowGiven StoneCo’s robust first-quarter performance, disciplined repricing strategy and monetization of PIX transactions, the company is quite clearly executing well on both growth and profitability fronts. Coupled with its discounted valuation relative to peers and historical averages, STNE stands out as an attractive opportunity. With a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), now may be an opportune time for investors to capitalize on StoneCo’s momentum before the market fully prices in its upside potential. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.Zacks' Research Chief Names "Stock Most Likely to Double"Our team of experts has just released the 5 stocks with the greatest probability of gaining +100% or more in the coming months. Of those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian highlights the one stock set to climb highest.This top pick is among the most innovative financial firms. With a fast-growing customer base (already 50+ million) and a diverse set of cutting edge solutions, this stock is poised for big gains. Of course, all our elite picks aren’t winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks’ Stocks Set to Double like Nano-X Imaging which shot up +129.6% in little more than 9 months.Free: See Our Top Stock And 4 Runners UpWant the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report PagSeguro Digital Ltd. (PAGS): Free Stock Analysis Report StoneCo Ltd. (STNE): Free Stock Analysis Report DLocal Limited (DLO): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks