-+ 0.00%
-+ 0.00%
-+ 0.00%

Why StoneCoStock Soared Today

The Motley Fool·10/05/2026 15:28:10
Listen to the news

Key Points

  • Brazilian Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro won 47.3% of the vote in Brazil's first round of presidential elections.

  • Incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won only 44.8%.

  • Brazilian voters and investors seem to prefer Bolsonaro to win.

Brazilian e-commerce software company StoneCo (NASDAQ:STNE) stock took off like a rocket Monday, soaring 24.8% through 10:50 a.m. ET.

You can thank the voters of Brazil for that.

Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »

Flag of Brazil.

Image source: Getty Images.

Election Brazil 2026

Brazil wrapped up its first round of voting for a new President last night, with conservative candidate Flávio Bolsonaro -- son of the former President Jair Bolsonaro and a Brazilian senator in his own right -- outpolling incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva47.3% to 44.8%, with 98% of votes counted.

https://www.wsj.com/world/americas/flavio-bolsonaro-surges-past-lula-setting-up-a-bitter-brazil-election-runoff-0432b9c5

Bolsonaro the younger didn't win the election outright; he'd have needed more than 50% of the vote to do so. He does seem well-positioned to win the presidency, however, when a second round of voting is held on Oct. 25. As The Wall Street Journal reports, "other right-wing candidates" won about 5% of the votes in the first round. Those voters are more likely to vote for Bolsonaro than for Lula. If even half of them swing their votes to Bolsonaro, it's likely to put him over the top.

What does any of this have to do with StoneCo?

Although incorporated in the Cayman Islands, StoneCo is a Brazilian company, and investors are presumably thinking today that a Bolsonaro victory will be good for Brazilian stocks. As the Journal points out, voters are upset about high taxes and Lula's "stewardship of the economy." Investors seem to agree and think that change will be good for the economy and for StoneCo stock.

It wouldn't take much to prove them right.

Priced at just 3.6 times trailing earnings, StoneCo stock is priced to move. With analysts already forecasting the company would grow earnings more than 16% annually over the next five years, this stock could perform well... whoever ends up winning the election.

Rich Smith has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.