Stone Releases Preliminary Fourth Quarter 2018 Operational Metrics

Announces Participation in Upcoming Investor Conferences

Provides Details for Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2018 Earnings Results

SÃO PAULO, Brazil, Jan. 21, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- StoneCo Ltd. (Nasdaq: STNE) (“Stone” or the “Company”), a leading provider of financial technology solutions that empower merchants to conduct commerce seamlessly across multiple channels and help them grow their business over time through technology, today releases preliminary operational metrics for the fourth quarter of 2018, announces its participation in upcoming investor conferences and provides details for the Company’s fourth quarter and fiscal year 2018 earnings results.

Preliminary Operational Metrics for the Fourth Quarter of 2018

• Take rate¹ in the fourth quarter of 2018 was 1.88%, a 30 basis point increase versus the fourth quarter of 2017 and a basis point increase versus the third quarter of 2018.
  
  
• As of December 31, 2018 the Company had 267.9 thousand active clients, up 104.1% from 131.2 thousand on December 31, 2017. The net addition of active clients in the fourth quarter was 33.5 thousand, an improvement in net addition per sales force working day² compared to the third quarter of 2018.
  
  
• Total Payment Volume (TPV) was R$26.6 billion in the fourth quarter of 2018, an increase of 73.8% from R$15.3 billion in the fourth quarter of 2017.

“We are pleased to report strong fourth quarter 2018 operating metrics,” said Thiago Piau, chief executive officer of Stone. “We believe our company is very well positioned to continue to help our clients grow and improve their businesses, by providing them a superior value proposition and the best customer experience. We remain committed to the execution of our growth strategies, which are based on: high-quality products; the best client service in Brazil; proprietary distribution channels; building of an entrepreneurial and decentralized business culture, with leaders that really think about the long term.”

Upcoming Investor Conferences

The Company will be attending the following investor conferences:

• On Tuesday, January 29, the Company will attend the Credit Suisse 2019 Latin America Investment Conference in São Paulo, Brazil.
   
• On Wednesday, February 13, the Company will attend the Goldman Sachs Technology & Internet Conference in San Francisco, CA.
  
  
• On Thursday, February 21, the Company will attend the Itaú BBA Conferência de Bancos e Serviços Financeiros in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
   
• On Monday, February 25, the Company will attend the Morgan Stanley US Equities TMT Conference at The Palace Hotel in San Francisco, CA.

Conference Call

The Company will release its complete fourth quarter and fiscal year 2018 financial results on March 18, after market-close.  More details will be provided at a later date. 

About Stone

Stone is a leading provider of financial technology solutions that empower merchants to conduct commerce seamlessly across multiple channels and help them grow their business over time through technology. For more information please visit https://www.stone.co/.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date they were first issued and were based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections as well as the beliefs and assumptions of management. Words such as "expect," "anticipate," "should," "believe," "hope," "target," "project," "goals," "estimate," "potential," "predict," "may," "will," "might," "could," "intend," variations of these terms or the negative of these terms and similar expressions are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which involve factors or circumstances that are beyond Stone’s control.

Stone’s actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including but not limited to: more intense competition than expected, lower addition of new clients, regulatory measures, more investments in our business than expected, among other factors.

Contact:

ICR, Inc.
+1 646-277-1200
Investor Relations: [email protected]

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¹ Take rate means the sum of net revenue from transaction activities and other services, net revenue from subscription services and equipment rental and financial income, divided by TPV

² Working day considers the number of days our sales force is active, excluding days of collective vacations in December