Square's Big Secret Is Out

Square Inc's (NYSE: SQ)first-quarter earningsprovided the latest confirmation that the company was firing on all cylinders. Adjusted revenue, the best metric to judge Square's performance because it subtracts out fees the company pays to the credit card networks and banks, rose to $307 million, a 51% increase year over year.

Adjusted EBITDAgrew to $36 million, a 33% increase year over year. This strong top- and bottom-line growth was powered by the company's strong business-segment growth. The company's gross payment volume, the total dollar amount of all purchases facilitated through Square's payment platform, rose 31% to $17.8 billion.