Fund Bets $69 Million on Beaten-Down PAR Technology Stock — Is This the Turning Point?

Seattle-based wealth advisory Progeny 3 reported the acquisition of PAR Technology Corporation shares in its November 14 SEC filing, but the position value decreased by $34.3 million from quarter to quarter.

What Happened

According to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission dated November 14, Progeny 3 ncreased its stake in PAR Technology Corporation (NYSE:PAR) by 249,923 shares during the third quarter. The post-trade position totaled 1.7 million shares, with a quarter-end reported value of $68.6 million. This change brought the PAR stake to 3.5% of the fund’s $1.9 billion in reportable U.S. equity assets.

What Else to Know

Top holdings after the filing:

• NYSE:CCJ: $204.8 million (10.6% of AUM)
• NYSE:TIC: $203.1 million (10.5% of AUM)
• NASDAQ:IBKR: $146.3 million (7.6% of AUM)
• NYSE:APG: $121.7 million (6.3% of AUM)
• NASDAQ:SSNC: $99.9 million (5.2% of AUM)

As of Thursday, shares of PAR were priced at $34.16, down 57% over the past year and well underperforming the S&P 500, which is up about 12.5% in the same period.

Company Overview

Company Snapshot

• PAR Technology offers point-of-sale (POS) systems, cloud-based software solutions, customer loyalty platforms, back-office management tools, payment services, and technical support for the restaurant and retail sectors; it also provides intelligence and software-based solutions to government clients.
• The company generates revenue primarily through software licensing, subscription services, hardware sales, payment processing, and government contracts.
• It serves enterprise restaurant brands, convenience store chains, retailers, and U.S. federal government agencies.

PAR Technology Corporation delivers integrated technology solutions for the hospitality and retail industries, combining cloud-based POS platforms with customer engagement and operational management tools. The company leverages a dual-segment model, balancing commercial SaaS and hardware offerings with specialized government services. This diversified approach enables PAR Technology to address the evolving needs of both private sector businesses and public sector clients, supporting long-term growth and resilience.

Foolish Take

The shift into PAR Technology comes at a moment when sentiment has swung sharply from 2024’s optimism, which saw shares surge for the majority of the year. Progeny 3’s decision to add to its position—even as the stock has crashed more than 50% from last year's highs—suggests conviction that PAR’s fundamentals, rather than its recent share-price volatility, will ultimately drive returns. That view isn’t unfounded: Annual recurring revenue climbed 22% year-over-year to $298.4 million, subscription revenue grew 25%, and total revenue rose 23% in the third quarter. The company also delivered a sequential $11.7 million ARR increase, and subscription margins held steady at 55.3% while non-GAAP subscription margins exceeded 66%.

Still, the market has punished unprofitable software names, and PAR remains in investment mode, posting an $18.2 million quarterly loss. For a diversified fund like Progeny 3—whose top holdings skew toward steadier operators—the increased PAR allocation may reflect a recalibration rather than an outright bet against recent weakness. Nevertheless, sustained ARR growth, expanding product breadth, and early AI deployment could support a recovery, but profitability remains the gating factor to rerating.

Glossary

13F reportable assets: Assets that institutional investment managers must disclose quarterly to the SEC on Form 13F.
Assets under management (AUM): The total market value of investments managed on behalf of clients by a fund or firm.
Trailing twelve-month (TTM): The 12-month period ending with the most recent quarterly report.
Stake: The amount of ownership or shares an investor or fund holds in a company.
Buy (position increase): When an investor or fund acquires additional shares, increasing its ownership in a company.
Quarter-end: The last day of a fiscal quarter, used as a reference point for financial reporting.
Five-year revenue CAGR: Compound annual growth rate of a company's revenue over the past five years.
Point-of-sale (POS) systems: Hardware and software used to complete sales transactions in retail or hospitality settings.
Subscription services: Revenue model where customers pay recurring fees for ongoing access to products or services.
Cloud-based software solutions: Software applications delivered and accessed over the internet rather than installed locally.
Government contracts: Agreements to provide goods or services to government agencies, often involving specialized requirements.
Back-office management tools: Software that supports administrative, operational, and support functions within a business, such as inventory or payroll.

Jonathan Ponciano has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Cameco, Interactive Brokers Group, and Tic Solutions. The Motley Fool recommends SS&C Technologies and recommends the following options: long January 2027 $43.75 calls on Interactive Brokers Group and short January 2027 $46.25 calls on Interactive Brokers Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.