Shopify Inc. posted stronger-than-expected second-quarter results, sending the stock up about 16% in pre-market New York trading. Revenue climbed 31% from a year earlier to $2.68 billion, beating analysts’ $2.55 billion consensus, while operating income reached $291 million, comfortably above projections. Gross merchandise volume — the value of goods sold through the platform — rose 31% to $87.8 billion, supported by a 140% jump in GMV handled by the Shop mobile app, which now serves about 70 million users. Monthly recurring revenue increased 9% to $185 million, and free cash flow improved 27% to $422 million. Diluted earnings per share came in at $0.35, ahead of the $0.29 expected. For the July-to-September quarter, the Ottawa-based company said it expects revenue to grow at a mid- to high-twenties percentage pace year over year, implying sales of roughly $2.76 billion and topping Wall Street’s $2.63 billion estimate. Management also projects gross profit dollars to expand in the low-twenties percent range and sees operating expenses at 38%–39% of revenue. President Harley Finkelstein said the performance reflects "bold bets" made in prior years, including investments in artificial-intelligence tools and expanded payments capabilities. Shopify highlighted robust growth in offline and business-to-business transactions, sign-ups from brands such as Starbucks and Canada Goose, and early traction for its Checkout Kit now used by Microsoft’s Copilot.