Why is the Cirralto (ASX:CRO) share price up more than 3,000% in 12 months?

The Cirralto Ltd (ASX:CRO) share price has been a huge mover on the S&P/ASX All Technology Index this year, but why?

| More on:
A male ASX investor wearing glasses and a beanie and denim shirt puts his hand to his chin wondering whether to buy ASX shares

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

The Cirralto Ltd (ASX: CRO) share price has been a huge mover on the S&P/ASX All Technology Index (ASX: XTX) this year, rising from just one cent to a high of over 11 cents per share.

The Cirralto share price is already in the news today and has closed down 7.3% at 6.3 cents per share after its latest investor presentation.  

Let's take another look.

Cirralto's ups and downs

Long-time investors may be familiar with the Cirralto story. It's a technology investment company based in Australia, which acquires, develops and commercialises tech assets that modernise IT systems.

Data storage, migration and cloud-based computing are all key areas for the company. Its products include PoolBox, Flash Convert, Synk'd and its latest payment service, Spenda.

The company has attempted to enter the buy now, pay later (BNPL) space as a B2B offering over the past few months, which saw its share price surge and reach 12-month gains of 4,810% in March. 

Throughout this period its often seen daily gains of more than 200%, punctuated by significant weekly and monthly losses.

At its high, it raised $18 million in capital to launch Spenda in the BNPL market. After a period of work behind the scenes and share price drops, which perhaps reflected the ongoing investor uncertainty in this company, it upgraded its pay services at the beginning of May.

It was potentially seen as being late to the party after such high initial BNPL interest, and that appears to have hurt trust in the company. The company's latest financial reports show a 25% increase in cash receipts, 12% increase in customer numbers, and 18% increase in merchant turnover.

Still, the Cirralto share price falls.

The company believes Spenda has a market advantage because it can provide payment services cheaper than most of its rivals on the market, and it has a higher level of integration with a range of existing platforms.

It's currently tightly marketing Spenda in key areas, where it hopes to create notable efficiencies in connecting consumers, retailers and manufacturers throughout the payment process.

Foolish takeaway

Despite seemingly positive reports from the company this month, some investors clearly believe it has been overhyped. The Cirralto share price has lost 22% in the past month and has declined on 13 of the past 30 days. 

It's easy to see why Cirralto could drive this kind of hype. It's a company that appears to have many of the right pieces: strong sales growth, cloud-based IT systems, BNPL technology, high profile financial partnerships and a huge market capitalisation for a six-cent share.

But it's also proven a little nerve-wracking, and some director share sell-offs in hard times create an uneasy feeling. It's also been exceptionally volatile in a period that's seen a boom in ASX technology shares, with no shortage of quiet achievers on the index. 

Motley Fool contributor Lucas Radbourne-Pugh has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

More on Technology Shares

A corporate man crosses his arms to make an X, indicating no deal.
Mergers & Acquisitions

REA Group share price drops after $11b Rightmove takeover offer rejected

The UK property listings company says thanks but no thanks.

Read more »

A young man punches the air in delight as he reacts to great news on his mobile phone.
Technology Shares

DroneShield shares jump 7% on US contract win

The counterdrone technology company continues to kick goals overseas.

Read more »

Data Centre Technology
Capital Raising

NextDC share price drops on $750m capital injection for Asian expansion

The data centre operator is raising funds to support its expansion.

Read more »

A woman presenting company news to investors looks back at the camera and smiles.
Technology Shares

Broker says this excellent ASX 200 tech stock can deliver market-beating returns

Goldman Sachs is a big fan of this high-flying stock.

Read more »

A human-like robot checks out market performance on a laptop, indicating the rise of AI shares.
Technology Shares

This ASX robotics stock is rocketing 13% on 'significant milestone'

What is getting investors excited today? Let's find out.

Read more »

A man casually dressed looks to the side in a pensive, thoughtful manner with one hand under his chin, holding a mobile phone in his hand while thinking about something.
Technology Shares

Buy these ASX 200 tech stocks after the market selloff

Analysts think these stocks could be in the buy zone following the market volatility.

Read more »

A woman sits at her computer with her hand to her mouth and a contemplative smile on her face as she reads about the performance of Allkem shares on her computer
Technology Shares

ASX tech and metals shares: Where insiders are buying this week

Insiders gobbled up shares in these names this week.

Read more »

Three analysts look at tech options on a wall screen
Technology Shares

NextDC share price rides high on AirTrunk's $24 billion cloud

Investors are bidding up AI and data-related shares after the deal.

Read more »