Block shares surge after mid‑teens gross profit growth forecast through 2028

CNBC Top News 2 min read Intermediate
Block's stock jumped about 9% after the company unveiled a new three-year financial outlook that included long-term targets for gross profit growth. Management signaled it expects annual gross profit to grow in the mid‑teens percentage range through 2028, a projection that reassured investors and sent shares higher on the news.

The guidance frames Block's near-term priorities around expanding revenue quality and scaling higher-margin businesses alongside its payments operations. By presenting a clearer multi-year trajectory, the company aimed to show how investments in its ecosystem — including payments, platform services and subscription products — can support sustained margin improvement and top-line durability over the coming years.

Market participants reacted positively to the specifics of the outlook because mid‑teens gross profit growth implies steady expansion rather than one-off gains. Analysts and investors generally prize visibility into recurring revenue streams and margin drivers, and a multi-year plan can reduce uncertainty about capital allocation, product investment and break-even dynamics for growth initiatives.

That said, the pathway to achieving such growth typically depends on execution across several fronts: customer adoption of higher-margin services, retention in core seller and consumer products, effective cost management, and macroeconomic stability that supports merchant activity. Block’s outlook is a statement of intent and planning assumptions rather than a guaranteed outcome; investors will watch quarterly results and operational metrics to confirm progress.

For the fintech sector broadly, Block’s forecast is notable because it highlights how payments companies are shifting narratives from raw revenue expansion to profitability of services and gross profit uplift. If Block can convert the guidance into consistent quarterly performance, it could validate management’s strategic mix and justify higher valuation multiples. Conversely, any hiccups in execution or slower-than-expected adoption of premium services would likely prompt market re-evaluation.

In short, the three-year guidance and mid‑teens gross profit projection provided the catalyst for the stock’s rally, but the market will be looking for tangible proof points in upcoming reports to sustain confidence in the longer-term outlook.