• Home
  • News
  • Fortune 500
  • Tech
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechInternet of Things

Here’s Why Fitbit Shares Are Taking a Tumble

By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 29, 2016, 9:17 AM ET
The new Fitbit Charge 2 fitness tracker.
The Fitbit Charge 2 fitness tracker.Fitbit

Fitbit’s new Charge 2 fitness tracking band is off to a disappointing start after some mixed reviews, according to one analyst who follows the company.

Preorders for the $150 wrist tracker started in late August, but the device has been hit with some mixed reviews lately. Gizmodo called it the “best fitness tracker, period,” but The Verge said it was plagued by bugs.

In a report on Thursday, Pacific Crest analyst Brad Erickson said he checked with 15 major U.S. retailing chains and heard that demand has been lukewarm so far.

“Our checks are already finding meaningful inventory accumulation in the channel; more than two weeks of inventory is on hand,” wrote Erickson. “While sell-through should ramp meaningfully as the holiday nears, Charge 2 run rates are below where Blaze and Alta began earlier this year, which is a disappointing start, in our view.”

Shares of Fitbit, which had rallied almost 40% over the past three months, were down 5% in premarket trading. The stock is overvalued by about one-third, Erickson said, downgrading the company to a rating of “underperform.”

The new Charge 2 updated the best-selling fitness tracker on the market. The new model added a much larger tappable screen, better sensors to automatically distinguish different forms of workouts, and closer links to a user’s smartwatch, including using the watch’s GPS sensor to track movement. At the same August event, Fitbit (FIT) also introduced a simpler band, called the Flex 2, a line of fashion accessories and a new online component, dubbed Fitbit Adventures, to get consumers more involved.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Fitbit’s new products in the spring, the $200 Blaze and $130 Alta, got off to a fast start, with the company saying it shipped 1 million of each in the first month they were available.

The company’s stock has been on a tear since it posted better-than-expected second quarter results and CEO James Park promised profit margins would improve. But even at Wednesday’s close of $16.70, the stock remains about 17% below its initial public offering price from last year.

About the Author
By Aaron Pressman
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • 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
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 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.