If you own Shopify (TSX:SHOP), you’ve had an exciting few years. Say you bought way back in 2018 when shares really started to take off. Since then, you’ve seen Shopify stock surge upwards, only to topple down and then climb back up once more. Now, Shopify stock has become a solid company with a stellar growth trajectory. Yet, there is something you need to watch.
Staying profitable
The one thing you should be watching most closely right now is the company’s profitability trajectory versus its reinvestment pace. That balance of how efficiently Shopify stock turns its massive revenue growth into durable earnings is what will determine whether the stock continues to justify its lofty valuation or stalls under the weight of high expectations. After years of prioritizing expansion and innovation, Shopify stock is now being judged on how much profit it can squeeze from its powerful e-commerce ecosystem without losing the innovation edge that made it dominant in the first place.
Shopify stock spent much of its early life reinvesting every dollar to scale globally. That strategy worked, as the company became the backbone for millions of online stores and evolved into a full commerce operating system, from storefronts and payments to shipping and analytics. But the market environment has changed. Investors are less forgiving of tech companies that sacrifice profits for growth, especially with higher interest rates raising the cost of capital. Shopify stock responded by cutting costs, offloading its logistics business in 2023, and focusing on leaner, more profitable operations.
Its latest earnings showed that strategy paying off in the third quarter. Gross profit jumped 24% year over year, and free cash flow continued to rise to US$507 million. Furthermore, its gross merchant value (GMV) rose 32% to over US$92 billion! And that’s all before “retail’s busiest season,” President Harvey Finkelstein stated.
Looking ahead
The tension now lies in whether Shopify stock can sustain that profitability while reigniting top-line growth. Merchant solutions revenue continues to climb, but subscription growth has slowed compared to its explosive pandemic years. The company’s push into enterprise clients through “Shopify Plus” and expansion of its artificial intelligence (AI)-powered tools will need to offset that slowdown. If those initiatives boost average revenue per merchant and deepen customer loyalty, Shopify’s margins could expand significantly. If not, the market may start questioning whether its growth has matured.
Another factor to continue watching are those GMV numbers. This is the total value of transactions processed across its platform. GMV growth reflects how healthy Shopify’s merchant base really is. The latest results showed GMV rising 32% year over year, which is impressive, but investors need to see that trend continue as competition intensifies.
Finally, valuation remains a big part of the story. Shopify trades at a premium multiple at 92 times earnings, well above most tech peers. What’s more, shares dipped after earnings. That’s because the company provided next quarter guidance that was softer than hoped. It now projects mid-to-high 20% revenue growth, down from the 32% growth in Q3, as well as lower revenue growth of low-to-mid 20%. All while operating expenses potentially rise to 31% of revenue. So overall, expectations remain sky high for Shopify stock even a decade later, and the company might continue to see volatility as it tries to keep up.
Bottom line
In short, the most important thing to watch right now if you own Shopify stock isn’t just how fast it grows, but how efficiently it grows. The company has matured from a scrappy tech innovator into a platform expected to deliver consistent earnings. Its ability to maintain that balance of expanding profit margins while remaining the backbone of global online retail will define whether today’s valuation still makes sense five years from now.
