The Globe and Mail reports in its Friday, May 17, edition that Lightspeed Commerce stock surged on Thursday after the company exceeded its quarterly financial targets and provided a significantly higher operating profit forecast for the new fiscal year, surpassing analysts' expectations. The Globe's Sean Silcoff writes that Lightspeed also announced that founder Dax Dasilva would permanently take over as chief executive officer, following his interim appointment to replace the ousted predecessor Jean Paul Chauvet in February. The stock closed up 18.3 per cent at $20.55 in Toronto, continuing a trend seen among Canadian software vendors. Companies such as Shopify, Open Text or Docebo, which have given disappointing financial outlooks, have experienced their stocks selling off by 15 per cent or more. On the other hand, companies like Lightspeed and Copperleaf Technologies, which have issued stronger-than-anticipated forecasts, have seen their stocks jump by a similar degree. BMO analyst Thanos Moschopoulos said in a note, "As expected, but to a greater extent than expected, Lightspeed's returning CEO is placing a greater relative emphasis on driving profitability, which we think should be helpful for the stock."