Toast Slides 1.13% as $250M Volume Drops to 405th Rank Amid Global Expansion and Cost Pressure

On September 24, 2025, Toast (TOST) closed with a 1.13% decline, trading at a volume of $0.25 billion, a 40.21% drop from the previous day, ranking it 405th in market activity. The stock’s performance reflects ongoing sector dynamics amid broader market trends.

Toast remains a key player in the restaurant technology sector, powering operations for approximately 148,000 locations. Its AI-driven tools, including ToastIQ and Sous Chef, provide real-time insights to enhance sales and operational efficiency. The company added a record 8,500 net new locations in the latest quarter, leveraging a flywheel effect as higher transaction volumes drive customer retention and platform adoption.

Expansion into larger restaurant chains, food retailers, and international markets has opened new growth avenues. These strategic moves position Toast to capitalize on the restaurant industry’s demand for scalable solutions amid cost pressures. However, competition in the space remains intense, with rivals like Dutch Bros also gaining traction through expansion and innovation.

Restaurants face persistent challenges in optimizing labor and supply costs. Toast’s platform addresses these pain points by streamlining staffing, menu planning, and marketing. While the company’s growth trajectory is supported by its expanding customer base, long-term success will depend on its ability to maintain differentiation in a rapidly evolving market.

To conduct an accurate back-test, key parameters must be defined: the stock universe (e.g., U.S. equities, S&P 500), weighting methodology (equal or volume-weighted), trading assumptions (intraday execution, transaction costs), and handling of delisted securities. A benchmark such as SPY could also be included for performance comparison. Clarifying these details will ensure the back-test aligns with the intended strategy from January 1, 2022, to the present.