StoneCo Accelerates Growth with Steady Progress in Q2 2026, Eyes Long-Term Expansion Through Enhanced Ecosystem
StoneCo has reported a strong second quarter 2026, marked by steady progress on its priorities and accelerating growth in total payment volume (TPV). The company's CEO, Mateus, highlighted the significance of this quarter, stating that it was a 'quarter of steady progress' on the priorities laid out earlier in the year.
In a conference call to discuss the Q2 2026 earnings, Mateus emphasized the importance of retaining customers and deepening relationships with merchants. He noted that TPV growth accelerated to 4%, indicating that retention initiatives launched this year are beginning to bear fruit. The company also saw significant growth in its banking and credit franchises, with retail deposits increasing by 22% year-over-year and the credit portfolio more than doubling its level from a year ago.
StoneCo's focus on cost discipline was also evident, as expense growth remained well below revenue growth while scaling the use of artificial intelligence (AI) across the company. Furthermore, the company continued to return meaningful capital to shareholders throughout the quarter.
A key highlight of the quarter was the launch of Stone's new brand positioning: 'The bank for entrepreneurs.' This campaign aims to reposition Stone as a comprehensive financial services provider, rather than just a payments company. The initiative seeks to close the gap in perception among clients, who currently see Stone mainly as a payments company.
The new brand positioning is designed to open doors to more cross-sell opportunities and deeper relationships with merchants. To bring this to life, StoneCo launched a campaign film that showcases the complete account experience offered by the company. This includes features such as online and physical operations in one account, with one view of the business, thanks to the integration of Pagar.me into the Stone platform.
The integration has led to significant growth opportunities for StoneCo, capturing a larger share of digital transactions, which are growing faster than the average market. The company's focus on delivering towards the lower end of its adjusted gross profit and EPS guidance remains unchanged, despite the challenging interest rate environment.
With a year-to-date effective tax rate of 15.4%, StoneCo continues to execute with discipline and performance weighted towards the second half as credit revenues compound and commercial initiatives take hold.
