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Adyen Shares Slide After Surprise Slowdown in Volume Growth

A contactless payment processing device inside a testing room at the Adyen NV headquarters in Amsterdam. Photographer: Jasper Juinen/Bloomberg (Jasper Juinen/Bloomberg)

(Bloomberg) -- Adyen NV’s shares slumped after the payment firm’s volume growth unexpectedly decelerated in the third quarter.

The Amsterdam-based company’s processed volume expansion missed estimates in the period, slowing to 32% in the period from 45% in the first half. 

Adyen’s shares fell as much as 13%, the most in more than six months, to €1,201 ($1,293) apiece in Amsterdam. 

One large digital customer had slower growth in the quarter compared to the first half, which is “entirely driving the sequential” weakness in volumes, Adyen Chief Financial Officer Ethan Tandowsky said in an interview. 

Adyen, which processes e-commerce payments for large enterprises and through point-of-sale terminals in physical stores, said its net revenue rose 20% to €498.3 million in the third quarter. That compares with an average estimate of €503.3 million in a Bloomberg survey of analysts.

The pace of net revenue growth has been closely watched by investors ever since they were blindsided by a record slowdown last year over price competition in North America. Adyen has added large-format retailers and hospitality firms to its client base over the past year and expanded into India while working on boosting volumes with existing clients. 

Adyen has previously said that volumes in its digital business began accelerating since the second half of last year largely due to an existing customer. 

“Fears around competition might return,” said David Vignon, an analyst at Stifel, in a note to clients. Adyen indicated that the slowdown in the period is driven “by Square’s Cash App,” he said. 

The Dutch firm’s trading update comes against a backdrop of European peer Worldline SA cutting its full-year outlook twice since August, partly citing slow trading conditions. Last week, rival PayPal Holdings Inc. also provided a forecast that disappointed investors.

Adyen reaffirmed its target to increase net revenue by a percentage in the “low-twenties and high twenties” every year through 2026.

--With assistance from Henry Ren.

(Updates with details throughout)

©2024 Bloomberg L.P.