Jumia Stock Plunges 41.22 Percent on 91 Percent Jump in Operating Loss

In the last one month, the price of Jumia’s stock has dropped by 41.22 percent on growing uncertainty surrounding the future of Africa’s leading eCommerce company shortly after the release of its third-quarter report in November 2021.

The price of Jumia stock dropped by $7.89 or 41.22 percent in the past month to $11.25, suggesting a broad-based selloff amid weak investors’ confidence in a stock that rose to $65.51 per share on Wednesday 10 February 2020 when global investors thought it would replicate the performance of the likes of Amazon and other eCommerce companies that thrived on COVID-19.

This is in spite of the company growing orders by 28 percent to an all-time high of 8.5 million in the third quarter. Even active consumers and Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) rose 8 percent year-on-year each to 7.3 million and $238 million, respectively.

Still, global investors are not buying into the numbers. In fact, Luke Holbrook, a Morgan Stanley equity research analyst, lowered the bank’s recommendation for Jumia’s stock to underweight from neutral, according to a report by The Motley Fool. Holbrook then advised shareholders to sell their shares at $11 and move on. Indicating he does not have confidence in the company going forward.

Stifel Nicolaus, the only analyst that seems to be positive on Jumia, suggested ‘hold’ with a profit target of $18. Meaning, he is also not sticking his neck out for the once flying stock to hit $65, its COVID-19 peak.

Here is Why Investors Are Abandoning Jumia Stock

Jumia sales and advertising expenses jumped by a shocking 228 percent to $24 million year-on-year but active consumers and GMV only grew by 8.1 percent each. While the 28 percent increase in orders was because the company decided to sell more of everyday consumer items as opposed to its usual higher-value items like electronics. As of the third quarter, the average volume of Jumia sales was $28, down from $41.50 in 2019.

Also, Jumia customers are not returning to the website as much as Amazon and other global eCommerce platforms’ customers. Indicating that customers in Nigeria and other Jumia’s operating nations in Africa are not buying from the website as expected.

Chris Lau, a contributing author at InvestorPlace, put it best, “Jumia will have to spend more on its operations going forward. It needs to bring the right products to its customers. To do so, it must work with its suppliers and sellers. and add international brands to its marketplace, increasing its costs.”

And finally, Jumia operating loss increased by 91.4 percent to $64 million.