Core Insights - VTEX, recognized as the sole Customers' Choice commerce platform by Gartner for two consecutive years, will host VTEX Connect Europe on November 11, 2025, featuring tennis champion Rafael Nadal as a keynote speaker [1][2]. Event Overview - VTEX Connect Europe will take place alongside Web Summit 2025, the largest technology gathering globally, aiming to unite thousands from retail, manufacturing, and technology sectors to explore the impact of enterprise digital commerce and AI on operations and growth strategies [2][4]. - The event is scheduled for November 11, 2025, at Pavilhão Carlos Lopes in Lisbon, Portugal, from 17:00 to 23:00 CEST [5]. Key Themes - The event will include discussions on how AI is transforming enterprise commerce, with insights from industry leaders and special guests, including Manchester City FC [5]. - Santiago Naranjo, chief revenue officer at VTEX, emphasized the importance of mastery and precision in both sports and enterprise AI deployment, highlighting the innovative spirit of VTEX Connect Europe [3].

Core Insights - The stock market is reaching new all-time highs, prompting investors to focus on diversification strategies, particularly in international stocks and small/mid-cap growth stocks that offer more attractive valuations [1] Group 1 - Investors are encouraged to increase exposure to international stocks and small/mid-cap growth stocks due to their compelling trading opportunities [1] - Gary Alexander, with extensive experience in technology and startups, provides insights into current industry trends and investment themes [1]

Core Insights - GEA Group AG is now a member of the DAX 40 index as of September 22, 2025, marking its entry into the "Premier League" of German companies [2] - The company has confirmed its full-year guidance for 2025, raising expectations for organic sales growth to between 2% and 4% [3] - The EBITDA margin before restructuring expenses is projected to be in the range of 16.2% to 16.4% [3] - Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) is guided to be between 34% and 38% [3] Industry Insights - In the Foods sector, there is continued activity, particularly on the project side [3] - Demand in the Beverage sector remains at the same level as the previous year [3] - The Dairy Processing industry continues to show positive trends [3]

Core Insights - The stock market is reaching new all-time highs, prompting investors to focus on diversification strategies, particularly in international stocks and small/mid-cap growth stocks that offer more attractive valuations [1] Group 1: Market Trends - The current market environment is characterized by a push towards higher stock prices, leading to increased interest in diversification among investors [1] Group 2: Investment Focus - Investors are encouraged to enhance their portfolios by increasing exposure to international stocks and small/mid-cap growth stocks, which are perceived to be trading at more compelling valuations [1] Group 3: Analyst Background - Gary Alexander, with extensive experience in technology sectors on Wall Street and Silicon Valley, provides insights into industry trends and has been a contributor to Seeking Alpha since 2017 [1]

Core Viewpoint - VTEX shares increased by over 8% following an upgrade from Jefferies, which changed its rating from Hold to Buy, highlighting the company's competitive positioning and clear value proposition in integration and cost savings [1] Company Summary - Jefferies upgraded VTEX to Buy from Hold, indicating a positive outlook for the digital commerce platform [1] - The upgrade is based on VTEX's strong competitive positioning and the value it offers through its product [1]

Market Overview - US equity futures are flat ahead of the Federal Reserve's decision, with S&P and Nasdaq futures down 0.1% [1][3] - Nvidia shares fell 1% in premarket trading after reports that China ordered companies to terminate orders for specific AI chips [1][3] - The dollar is near its lowest level in three years, while gold remains near record highs [1][3] Corporate News - Cytokinetics (CYTK) shares rose 1% after announcing a $550 million convertible notes offering and a meeting with US regulators regarding its drug application [4] - Manchester United (MANU) shares fell 9% due to flat revenues and increasing losses [4] - New Fortress Energy (NFE) shares surged 24% after finalizing a $4 billion liquefied natural gas supply deal with Puerto Rico [4] - Vtex (VTEX) shares increased 5% following an upgrade from Jefferies, citing overdone declines and intact long-term growth prospects [4] - Workday (WDAY) shares rose 9% as analysts expressed positive outlooks and Elliott Investment Management noted substantial progress [4] Economic Indicators - Housing starts and building permits data are expected ahead of jobless claims data [1] - The Bank of Canada is anticipated to cut its benchmark overnight rate to 2.5% following weak jobs data [9] International Trade and Relations - China instructed tech firms, including Alibaba and ByteDance, to stop orders for Nvidia's AI chips, impacting Nvidia's stock [1][21] - Trump discussed easing tensions with Indian PM Modi amid tariff disputes and oil purchases from Russia [7] - China released a Wells Fargo banker previously barred from leaving the country, ahead of a potential meeting between Trump and Xi Jinping [7]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - In Q2 2025, GMV reached $4.8 billion, growing 9% year over year in U.S. Dollars and 14% on an FX neutral basis [26] - Subscription revenue was $57.2 million, a 6% increase in U.S. Dollars and an 11% increase on an FX neutral basis compared to Q2 2024 [26][27] - Non-GAAP income from operations increased by 35% to $8.5 million, resulting in a 14% non-GAAP operating margin, a three percentage points year-over-year margin expansion [30][31] - Free cash flow for the quarter was $7.1 million, up from $3 million in the same quarter last year, resulting in a free cash flow margin of 12% [32] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Subscription revenue growth was impacted by a mix shift in Brazil towards larger customers with lower implied take rates, affecting revenue growth despite maintaining similar margins [27][28] - Gross profit reached $45.3 million, up 15.2% in FX neutral terms, with a gross margin increase of 3.5 percentage points year over year [8][29] - Non-GAAP subscription gross margin reached 80%, up 180 basis points year over year, driven by gains in customer support efficiency through AI automation [28][29] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The U.S. and Europe markets are growing twice as fast as the overall company, indicating strong demand in these regions [5] - Argentina experienced a reversal in GMV growth, falling back to double-digit negative territory in Q2 after initial recovery signs in Q1 [40][59] - Brazil's GMV growth remained stable in the low twenties, but there was a mix shift towards larger enterprise customers, impacting revenue conversion [63] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on B2B commerce and retail media as strategic priorities, introducing new features and partnerships to enhance its platform [9][12][13] - The expansion of partnerships, such as with Whirlpool for the KitchenAid website in the U.S., highlights the company's global competitiveness [5][11] - The company aims to capture significant upside in the years ahead through disciplined growth strategies and investments in under-penetrated areas [9][36] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged the challenging market environment, particularly in Argentina and Brazil, but expressed confidence in the company's competitive positioning and global expansion strategy [34][36] - The company is targeting FX neutral year-over-year subscription revenue growth of 6% to 9% for 2025, despite a reduction in revenue guidance due to market conditions [34] - Management emphasized the resilience of the business model and the ability to deliver profitable growth even in complex conditions [43][44] Other Important Information - The company repurchased 800,000 shares at an average price of $4.82 per share as part of its capital allocation strategy [32][33] - The company is set to launch the latest edition of Vitex Vision, showcasing its product roadmap and innovation priorities [11][16] Q&A Session Summary Question: Discussion on the decline in guidance for GMV and new subscriptions sold - Management explained that the decline was primarily due to the GMV performance of existing customers in Argentina and a mix shift in Brazil towards larger customers with lower take rates [39][40] Question: Details on increased margin expectations - Management highlighted that margin improvements are driven by gains in AI support automation and a reduction in sales and marketing expenses, which are flat year over year [43][44] Question: Changes in implementation timelines for larger clients - Management confirmed that there were no significant changes in implementation cycles, and the guidance already accounted for the longer cycles associated with larger enterprise deals [50][51] Question: Competitive landscape in Argentina and Brazil - Management noted that the competitive landscape in Argentina remains stable, and they are embedding expectations for consumption deceleration in Brazil into their guidance [60][63] Question: Impact of market volatility on B2B and retail media strategies - Management stated that the current market conditions reinforce the value proposition of B2B and retail media initiatives, with no major structural changes affecting their strategy [70][71]

Business Overview - VTEX is a SaaS commerce platform for enterprises, with 88% of its Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) coming from enterprise customers, each generating at least $25,000 ARR, with an average of $131,000 in ARR [17] - VTEX's platform facilitated $19.0 billion in B2C Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) in the last twelve months (LTM) of the second quarter of 2025 [21] - VTEX reported $230.4 million in revenue for the LTM period of the second quarter of 2025 [21] - The company has 3,400 customers and 2,400 active online stores across 43 countries as of fiscal year 2024 [21] Financial Performance and Growth - VTEX boasts an attractive unit economics model with a Lifetime Value to Customer Acquisition Cost (LTV/CAC) ratio above 6x [68] - VTEX achieved a Non-GAAP subscription gross margin of 79.1% for the LTM period of the second quarter of 2025 [21] - The number of customers with ARR above US$250,000 experienced YoY growth of 23% in 2024 [69] - VTEX's Top 100 customers have shown a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 24% from 2017 to 2024 [72] - Top 100 customers ARR grew 29% FX Neutral CAGR from 2017 to 2024, reaching $98.7 million in ARR [79] Market and Technology - The Latin American e-commerce market reached $19.0 billion in GMV in fiscal year 2024 [32] - The worldwide e-commerce market is projected to reach $8.1 trillion by fiscal year 2028 [33] - Approximately 45% of VTEX's GMV comes from Collaborative Commerce transactions, with over 85% of GMV from customers using Collaborative Commerce integrations [44]

Group 1 - The company is positioned for high future growth, with a target price of $7.08, indicating a potential return of over 10% from the current price [1] - Future growth will be driven by the sale of enterprise products [1] - The analysis follows a triangulation approach involving valuation by multiples, discounted cash flow (DCF), and dividend yield [1] Group 2 - The focus is on the Consumer Discretionary and Consumer Staples sectors, prioritizing companies with smaller capitalization and low institutional coverage [1] - The investment philosophy combines income and value investing strategies, emphasizing a margin of safety in multiples and projected cash flow [1] - Dividend yield is considered a fundamental component for generating returns and mitigating risks, especially in low coverage stocks [1] Group 3 - The analysis is based on a bottom-up approach, concentrating on operational fundamentals, execution history, and sustainable growth drivers [1] - Suggestions involving options may be included when they align with the main thesis and offer an asymmetric advantage [1] - The goal is to produce in-depth, rational, data-driven analyses to support informed investment decisions [1]

Group 1 - VTEX shares have increased by 5% over the past four weeks, closing at $6.50, with a mean price target of $8.8 indicating a potential upside of 35.4% [1] - The average price targets range from a low of $7.30 to a high of $10.00, with a standard deviation of $1.33, suggesting a variability in estimates [2] - Analysts show a strong consensus that VTEX will report better earnings than previously estimated, which historically correlates with stock price increases [4][11] Group 2 - Recent revisions in earnings estimates have been positive, with two estimates moving higher and the Zacks Consensus Estimate increasing by 5.4% [12] - VTEX holds a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), placing it in the top 20% of over 4,000 ranked stocks based on earnings estimates [13] - While consensus price targets may not be reliable for predicting exact gains, they can indicate the direction of price movement [14]