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

Trendingnow

1

Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living

2

Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs

3

Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998

1

Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living

2

Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs

3

Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998
TechFitbit

Why Shares of Fitbit Jumped 7% After Its Latest Quarterly Results

By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 2, 2016, 8:01 PM ET
Fortune Brainstorm Tech 2015
Fortune Brainstorm Tech, Aspen, CO July 14th, 2015 11:10 AM 1:1 James Park, CEO FitBit Interviewer: Brian O’Keefe Photograph by Stuart Isett/Fortune Brainstorm TechPhotograph by Stuart Isett — Fortune Brainstorm TECH
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Fitbit has reported five quarterly earnings since it went public last June. After each of the first four times, the stock price fell – often sharply.

But Tuesday marked the first time that investors reacted positively to an earnings report by the maker of popular fitness trackers. Fitbit’s shares jumped 7% after releasing second quarter results that beat Wall Street’s expectations for sales and profits excluding certain items.

All along, the company has been haunted by a simple and negative narrative that despite early success, it was only a matter of time until it was crushed by competition from the Apple Watch at the high-end and cheap Chinese knock-offs on the low end. Investors have seen every twist and turn, whether it was an uptick in spending for research and development for new products or allegations of patent infringements, as confirmation of the coming downfall.

CEO and co-founder James Park has been fighting to change the story, and while he surely has a long way to go, he’s finally starting to make progress.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

One metric that investors watch closely is Fitbit’s gross profit margin. Increasing competition would likely force Fitbit (FIT) to reduce prices, squeezing its margin. And in the past, despite also beating Wall Street expectations, Fitbit’s share price got hit due to shrinking gross margins.

But Park had good news on Tuesday. He’s promising an increase margins back to the 48% to 49% level of last year for the rest of this year. New products like the $200 Blaze aimed at fitness junkies who want to continuously track their heart rate, sleep cycle, and other health data are selling strongly and boosting margins.

And more new products are coming for the holidays, although Park won’t go into much detail. “We’re going to have the most new products that we’ve ever had for consumers,” he tells Fortune.

New products also demonstrate the strength of the Fitbit brand, he says. While two-thirds of sales of the newest products, the Blaze and the slightly less expensive Alta, were to new customers, the other third went to consumers who already owned a Fitbit device and wanted to upgrade.

As Park had warned in May when the company previously reported its financial results, profits and gross margins took a hit in the second quarter. Increased R&D spending helped accelerate new product development, and Fitbit had to add more money to a reserve fund to cover repairs done under warranty. Net profits slid 64% to $6 million while sales increased 46% to $587 million.

For more on Fitbit’s expansion plans, watch:

In the second quarter, Fitbit also began selling in China, a potentially huge new market. “Where we’re seeing a lot of traction is the higher end segment,” Park says. Buying and wearing a more expensive tracker is a form of “social signaling” in China’s growing middle class, he says.

Still, even if the 7% gain in after hours trading on Tuesday holds through Wednesday’s session, Fitbit’s share price still would have to gain more than 40% just to get back to its $20 IPO price.

It’s a long way to go, but Park isn’t deterred. On a call with analysts on Tuesday, he pledged that he and two of the company’s other top executives would not sell any shares of the company’s stock for the rest of the year. “I am confident in this company’s future for the rest of this year and beyond,” he declared.

About the Author
By Aaron Pressman
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

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

The CEO who vowed to ‘fire anyone who doesn’t use AI’ admits that the technology can’t replace her executive assistant as the role evolves
AIthe future of work
The CEO who vowed to ‘fire anyone who doesn’t use AI’ admits that the technology can’t replace her executive assistant as the role evolves
By Claire Savage and The Associated PressJuly 5, 2026
1 hour ago
Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary says if he were 25 today, he’d chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI
AIEntrepreneurs
Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary says if he were 25 today, he’d chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 5, 2026
2 hours ago
Mark Zuckerberg takes business calls on a jet ski wearing his $800 Meta glasses—and insists ‘the other person could not tell’
Big TechMark Zuckerberg
Mark Zuckerberg takes business calls on a jet ski wearing his $800 Meta glasses—and insists ‘the other person could not tell’
By Sydney LakeJuly 5, 2026
4 hours ago
k
CommentaryBox office
How Hollywood’s youngest filmmakers are exposing Gen Z’s real problem with AI
By Reid LitmanJuly 5, 2026
4 hours ago
Apple’s next CEO will oversee a $4 trillion tech giant, but isn’t on LinkedIn. Can today’s leaders still skip social media?
C-Suitechief executive officer (CEO)
Apple’s next CEO will oversee a $4 trillion tech giant, but isn’t on LinkedIn. Can today’s leaders still skip social media?
By Rachel VentrescaJuly 5, 2026
5 hours ago
werzyn
AIEntrepreneurship
The CEO using AI to double revenue with 1,000 fewer hires: ‘Nobody’s going to replace the last mile’
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 5, 2026
6 hours ago

Most Popular

Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living
Success
Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living
By Preston ForeJuly 4, 2026
1 day ago
Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs
Law
Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs
By Wyatte Grantham-Philips and The Associated PressJuly 2, 2026
3 days ago
Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998
AI
Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 3, 2026
2 days ago
$25 billion CEO says one-hour interviews are a waste of time—he puts candidates through six hours of tests and wants them to order wine at lunch
Success
$25 billion CEO says one-hour interviews are a waste of time—he puts candidates through six hours of tests and wants them to order wine at lunch
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJuly 3, 2026
2 days ago
Economists have found an answer to slowing cognitive decline: Avoid retiring early, study finds
Economy
Economists have found an answer to slowing cognitive decline: Avoid retiring early, study finds
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 2, 2026
3 days ago
A quarter of young baby boomers and Gen Xers who’ve been laid off in the last decade are still unemployed—and 11% have taken pay cuts to work
Success
A quarter of young baby boomers and Gen Xers who’ve been laid off in the last decade are still unemployed—and 11% have taken pay cuts to work
By Emma BurleighJuly 4, 2026
1 day 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.