The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz Announces the Filing of a Securities Class Action on Behalf of StoneCo Ltd. (STNE) Investors

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired StoneCo Ltd. (“StoneCo” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: STNE) securities between March 11, 2021 and November 16, 2021, inclusive (the “Class Period”). StoneCo investors have until January 18, 2022 to file a lead plaintiff motion.

If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate.

On August 30, 2021, after the market closed, StoneCo announced its second quarter 2021 financial results in a press release, reporting an 8.1% year-over-year decrease in revenue “mainly due to adjustments in credit fair value and significantly lower credit disbursements.” The Company stated that it had “implemented some prudent actions, like temporarily stopping the disbursement of credit and increasing coverage for potential future losses, which impacted [StoneCo’s] reported results for the quarter.”

On this news, the Company’s share price fell $2.96, to close at $46.54 per share on August 31, 2021, on unusually heavy trading volume.

Then, on October 26, 2021, PAX Global Technology Ltd’s Florida offices were raided by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, and several other agencies as part of a federal investigation. As a Viceroy Research report on October 27, 2021 pointed out, Stone states that PAX “is no longer [its] sole provider of POS services, [but the Company is] still substantially dependent on it to manufacture and assemble a substantial amount of [its] POS devices.” Moreover, another company replaced its PAX terminals “because it did not receive satisfactory answers from PAX regarding its POS devices connecting to websites not listed in their supplied documentation.”

On this news, the Company’s share price fell $2.64, or 7%, to close at $33.81 per share on October 27, 2021, thereby injuring investors further.

Then, on November 16, 2021, StoneCo announced that it would “start retesting our original [credit] product, which is short-term loans, between the fourth quarter of ’21 and the first quarter of ’22.” The Company could not provide specific guidance about when credit volumes would return to levels before StoneCo had halted origination of credit.

On this news, the Company’s share price fell $10.96, or 34%, to close at $20.70 per share on November 17, 2021, thereby injuring investors further.

The complaint filed in this class action alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors: (1) that StoneCo was experiencing difficulties in implementing its credit product; (2) that StoneCo faced significant risks via its point-of-sale vendor, PAX Global Technology Ltd.; (3) that, as a result of the foregoing, the Company’s financial results would be adversely impacted; and (4) that, as a result of the foregoing, Defendants’ positive statements about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.

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If you purchased StoneCo securities during the Class Period, you may move the Court no later than January 18, 2022 to ask the Court to appoint you as lead plaintiff. To be a member of the Class you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the Class. If you purchased StoneCo securities, have information or would like to learn more about these claims, or have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Frank R. Cruz, of The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz, 1999 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 1100, Los Angeles, California 90067 at 310-914-5007, by email to [e-mail], or visit our website at www.frankcruzlaw.com. If you inquire by email please include your mailing address, telephone number, and number of shares purchased.

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