• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechFitbit

Why Fitbit Stock Just Plummeted 30% in 10 Minutes

By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
November 2, 2016, 5:33 PM ET
Photograph by Bloomberg via Getty Images

Fitbit has long been the most successful maker of high-tech wearables but one of the least successful initial public offerings among high-tech stocks. On Wednesday, both trends were on display—and how.

CEO James Park’s company reported third quarter results in line with analyst expectations, with revenue up 23% to $504 million and adjusted earnings per share of 19 cents. New fitness trackers like the Charge 2 and Flex 2 got mostly (but not entirely) rave reviews and sold pretty well.

And within minutes of Fitbit’s quarterly report hitting the wire, the stock lost over 30%, or almost $1 billion in market value.

There are many stocks that regularly see volatile trading after reporting earnings, like Amazon or Netflix. But even for those stocks, a 30% move in 10 minutes based on an earnings report is completely unheard of.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

The shocker wasn’t in the third quarter results, however. It was in Fitbit’s guidance about the all-important fourth quarter. Until now, Fitbit was at least a fast grower, even if there were questions about profit margins. But for the fourth quarter, Fitbit said it expected sales to grow only 2% to 5% from last year. As a point of reference, Fitbit’s sales increased 92% last year compared to the fourth quarter of 2014.

Park offered a couple of explanations. For one, sales in the Asia Pacific region are terrible and getting worse. They slipped 45% in the third quarter. “Growth there isn’t where we want it to be,” Park tells Fortune.

A second problem is that the company hasn’t been able to manufacture as many of the new $100 Flex 2 bands as customers wanted to buy. That will cut into sales by about $50 million in the fourth quarter, Park said.

Finally, the company didn’t manage its new product transitions well this year. Introducing the Flex 2 and $150 Charge 2 in August pulled some holiday purchases into the third quarter but left the line up a little drab for the fourth quarter.

In the future, Fitbit (FIT) needs to get smarter about new product introductions, Park said. Asked about Apple’s iPhone event in early September every year, the CEO agreed “that’s what we’re striving for internally,” adding “we can execute better.”

The problems also arose after Apple (AAPL) upgraded its smart watch just in time for the holidays. And Apple’s new emphasis for the series 2 Apple watch was much closer to Fitbit’s core fitness focus, potentially put the two companies in much more direct competition.

For more about Fitbit, watch:

The stock plunge, which occurred in after-hours trading on Wednesday, left Fitbit’s stock price at $8.94, an all-time low and down 30% from the regular market close. Shares were also down 55% from its $20 IPO price when the company went public in June, 2015.

Still, Park argued that Fitbit’s position remained solid and its future was bright. Excluding the three problematic issues that torpedoed the fourth quarter outlook, underlying consumer demand for Fitbit devices is growing 15% to 20%, he said. And the company has seen strong sales from repeat customers, with 40% of new products activated in the third quarter coming from existing customers who decided to upgrade.

“The overall category still has a lot of demand and growth,” Park says. “And overall our products are being well received.”

At another point in the interview, he added “our business is in no danger at all of going away.”

It’s the kind of thing you don’t often hear CEOs needing to assert. But when the stock market lops $1 billion in value off your company in 10 minutes, the usual rules don’t apply.

About the Author
By Aaron Pressman
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Goldman Sachs’ tech boss says tracking individual AI usage isn’t useful. He just watches how fast his 12,000 engineers move from idea to production
AIBanks
Goldman Sachs’ tech boss says tracking individual AI usage isn’t useful. He just watches how fast his 12,000 engineers move from idea to production
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezMay 8, 2026
6 hours ago
hacking
CybersecurityHacking
Student hackers get revenge on final exams as ‘ShinyHunters’ takes down nearly 9,000 schools study software
By Heather Hollingsworth and The Associated PressMay 8, 2026
9 hours ago
Michael Saylor says remarks about selling Bitcoin were intended to jam short-sellers and ‘haters’ 
CryptoBitcoin
Michael Saylor says remarks about selling Bitcoin were intended to jam short-sellers and ‘haters’ 
By Ben WeissMay 8, 2026
9 hours ago
Apple promised a smarter Siri, but a lawsuit says it didn’t deliver—and you can get up to $95 back
LawApple
Apple promised a smarter Siri, but a lawsuit says it didn’t deliver—and you can get up to $95 back
By Catherina GioinoMay 8, 2026
9 hours ago
Fortune 500 Power Moves: Which executives gained and lost power this week
C-SuiteFortune 500 Power Moves
Fortune 500 Power Moves: Which executives gained and lost power this week
By Fortune EditorsMay 8, 2026
9 hours ago
Tired hispanic man in a professional suit feeling sad while waiting for the appointment of a job interview at a recruitment office
EconomyJobs
The job market is healing for everyone—except in the office
By Eva RoytburgMay 8, 2026
10 hours ago

Most Popular

California farmers must destroy 420,000 peach trees after Del Monte closes its canneries and cancels more than $550 million in long-term contracts
North America
California farmers must destroy 420,000 peach trees after Del Monte closes its canneries and cancels more than $550 million in long-term contracts
By Sasha RogelbergMay 7, 2026
1 day ago
'Blue dot fever' plagues musicians like Post Malone, Meghan Trainor, and Zayn as a growing list of artists cancel tours due to lagging ticket sales
Arts & Entertainment
'Blue dot fever' plagues musicians like Post Malone, Meghan Trainor, and Zayn as a growing list of artists cancel tours due to lagging ticket sales
By Dave Lozo and Morning BrewMay 7, 2026
1 day ago
A Michigan farm town voted down plans for a giant OpenAI-Oracle data center. Weeks later, construction began
Magazine
A Michigan farm town voted down plans for a giant OpenAI-Oracle data center. Weeks later, construction began
By Sharon GoldmanMay 6, 2026
3 days ago
U.S. Treasury will have to borrow $2 trillion this year just to continue functioning—more than $166 billion every month
Economy
U.S. Treasury will have to borrow $2 trillion this year just to continue functioning—more than $166 billion every month
By Eleanor PringleMay 7, 2026
2 days ago
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky warns two types of people won’t survive the AI era: ‘pure people managers’ and workers who resist change
Success
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky warns two types of people won’t survive the AI era: ‘pure people managers’ and workers who resist change
By Emma BurleighMay 7, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of May 7, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of May 7, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 7, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.