Will the Afterpay (ASX:APT) share price hit new highs?

Like the Energizer Bunny, the Afterpay share price just keeps going and going. Is it possible Afterpay will continue to hit new record highs?

ASX shares buy unstoppable asx share price represented by man in superman cape pointing skyward

Image source: Getty Images

You’re reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Motley Fool’s Premium Investing Services. Become a Motley Fool member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources, and more. Learn More

Like the Energizer Bunny, the Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) share price just keeps going and going… higher and higher.

The company's shares hit an all-time closing high of $104.53 per share on 9 November. Since then, the Afterpay share price has slipped 6.75% to $97.47 at the time of writing. Still, that represents a phenomenal 218% gain year to date.

By comparison the broader S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is down 0.98% so far in 2020.

With such a stellar performance already in hand for the year, can the Afterpay share price keep going and going?

Based on the company's latest announcement, it certainly seems possible. The update, released after the market closed yesterday, revealed a new sales milestone for the month of November.

What did Afterpay announce?

Afterpay revealed in a market update last night that its global underlying sales in November reached $2.1 billion. That's up 112% from the $1 billion reported in November 2019.

Buy now, pay later (BNPL) sales were buoyed by big spending across the Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend.

The company reported that its United States market reached the highest level of monthly underlying sales ever across all the regions it covers. US consumers purchased $1 billion of goods and services on the company's BNPL platform.

With sales in the US growing 186% year on year, November marked the first month that underlying sales in the US were more than the ANZ region. ANZ spending came in at $900 million, up 54% from November 2019, and also setting a new record for the region.

In fact, Afterpay reported that every region it operates in recorded new monthly underlying sales records in November.

The company's United Kingdom market saw the fastest growth, with November's $200 million in underlying sales 315% higher year on year. The number of UK merchants on its platform also leapt 800% over the year.

What does Afterpay do?

Afterpay is a leader in the BNPL space. The company's payment platform allows people to buy and receive goods and spread the cost of their purchase out over equal payments, without any interest fees.

The company was founded in 2015. The Afterpay share price first began trading on the ASX in June 2017. The company now operates in Australia, the US and the UK, with current expansion plans into the wider European market.

With November's strong sales growth figures in mind, it will be interesting to see how the Afterpay share price performs moving forward.

Motley Fool contributor Bernd Struben has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of AFTERPAY T FPO. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

More on Share Market News

Businessman using a digital tablet with a graphical chart, symbolising the stock market.
Share Market News

Are we soon to see a skyrocketing Aussie stock market?

Will the Aussie stock market follow the lead of American stock markets following the US election?

Read more »

A man and a woman sit in front of a laptop looking fascinated and captivated.
Share Gainers

Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today

It was a volatile, but positive, day for ASX shares this Thursday.

Read more »

A cloud with a blue arrow pointing upwards through its middle symbolising a rising asx share price
Record Highs

Xero and 2 other ASX tech shares cracking all-time highs on Thursday

The price peaks follow a significant lift in the NASDAQ overnight following Republican Donald Trump's US election victory.

Read more »

A US flag behind a graph, indicating investment in US shares
Share Market News

What the US election outcome means for ASX shares

ASX shares are having a mixed reaction to the US election results today.

Read more »

Excited group of friends sitting on sofa watching sports on TV and celebrating.
Share Gainers

Why Block, GQG, Neuren, and Sigma shares are racing higher today

These shares are rising on Thursday. But why?

Read more »

A woman with short brown hair and wearing a yellow top looks at the camera with a puzzled and shocked look on her face as the Westpac share price goes down for no reason today
Share Fallers

Why Clearview, NAB, Resolute Mining, and Westpac shares are dropping today

These shares are under pressure today. But why?

Read more »

A young man talks tech on his phone while looking at a laptop. A financial graph is superimposed across the image.
Share Market News

Appen share price lifts 5% on oversubscribed SPP results

The technology company has announced the results of its Share Purchase Plan.

Read more »

A man looking at his laptop and thinking.
Bank Shares

Why is the Bendigo Bank share price tanking today?

There are a few things that could be driving this bank lower today.

Read more »