Core Insights - Affirm Holdings, Inc. (AFRM) and SoFi Technologies, Inc. (SOFI) are prominent players in the fintech sector, targeting Gen Z, millennials, and older consumers with technology-driven financial solutions [1][2] - Affirm focuses on point-of-sale financing through a buy now, pay later (BNPL) model, while SoFi offers a broader platform that includes lending, investing, banking, and tech infrastructure [1][2] Affirm's Performance - Affirm reported $783.1 million in revenues for Q3 fiscal 2025, a 36% year-over-year increase, and achieved an adjusted EPS of $0.01, surpassing estimates [3][9] - The company raised its full-year revenue guidance to $3.163-$3.193 billion, up from the previous range of $3.13-$3.19 billion [3] - Affirm's growth is supported by expanding merchant partnerships and a growing international presence, with an expected adjusted operating margin of 23-23.6% for fiscal 2025 [4][5] - The company is leveraging AI to enhance productivity and customer interactions, and it has completed 24 asset-backed securitizations totaling $12.25 billion [6][7] SoFi's Performance - SoFi achieved record revenue of $770.7 million in Q1 2025, a 33% increase from the previous year, with net income rising over 200% to $71.5 million [8][10] - The platform added over 800,000 new users, bringing total membership to 10.9 million, and its adjusted EBITDA reached $210.3 million with a 27% margin [8][10] - However, SoFi's reliance on unsecured personal loans, which constitute nearly 70% of its lending portfolio, raises concerns about credit risk, especially with a borrower-level delinquency rate of 3.49% [11][12] Liquidity and Financial Health - Affirm's current ratio stands at 11.5, indicating strong liquidity, while SoFi's current ratio is below average at 0.8, suggesting limited flexibility to meet near-term obligations [9][12] - SoFi's current liabilities amount to $27.9 billion, with only $2.7 billion in cash as of March 31, 2025 [12] Growth Estimates - Zacks estimates indicate Affirm's fiscal 2025 sales and EPS are expected to grow by 37% and 101.8%, respectively, while SoFi's sales and EPS are projected to rise by 26.2% and 80% [13] - Affirm's earnings momentum is stronger compared to SoFi, with EPS estimates trending upward for both companies [13] Price Performance - Year-to-date, AFRM shares have increased by 9.8%, while SOFI shares have grown by 8.9%, outperforming the S&P 500 Index's 2.9% growth [16] - Affirm has shown stronger short-term momentum with a 1-month gain of 32% compared to SoFi's 25.9% [16] Valuation Comparison - Affirm is trading at 5.49X forward 12-month P/S, slightly higher than SoFi's 5.15X, reflecting investor confidence in Affirm's rapid scaling and profitability [19] - SoFi's broader but more complex business model is valued more conservatively, potentially due to operational diversification and execution risks [19] Conclusion - Both Affirm and SoFi are innovative fintech companies with strong growth narratives, but Affirm currently exhibits more growth potential due to its profitability, revenue growth, and disciplined execution [22][23] - Affirm's integration of AI, risk-managed lending, and robust capital partner network support its scalability, while SoFi faces challenges related to credit concentration risk and liquidity pressures [22][23]

Core Insights - Affirm Holdings, Inc. has partnered with Shopmonkey to become the default pay-over-time option for auto repair customers in the U.S. and Canada, allowing customers to split repair costs into manageable payments, sometimes at 0% APR, with no hidden fees [1][2][9] - This partnership provides Affirm access to a large network of small and mid-sized auto shops, expanding its presence in the auto repair spending category, which averages nearly $800 per year per car owner [2][9] - The collaboration is expected to boost Affirm's transaction volume and customer base, with total transactions growing 45.6% year-over-year to 31.3 million in the last reported quarter [3][9] Company Performance - Affirm handled over $33 billion in gross merchandise volume over the past year, enhancing brand trust and visibility by aligning with practical, recurring expenses [4] - Affirm's merchant network now exceeds 358,000 members, further expanding its reach in the market [4][9] - Year-to-date, Affirm's shares have gained 8.8%, underperforming the broader industry but outperforming the S&P 500 Index [7] Valuation and Estimates - Affirm trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 5.44X, slightly below the industry average of 5.80 [11] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Affirm's fiscal 2025 earnings implies a 101.8% improvement year-over-year, indicating strong growth potential [13]

Group 1 - Affirm Holdings is a rapidly growing player in the Buy Now, Pay Later market [1] - The company is approaching a significant inflection point with the potential achievement of GAAP operating profitability in the near term [1]

Core Insights - Shopmonkey has integrated Affirm as a default pay-later provider for auto repair shops, enabling them to offer flexible financing options to customers [2][3] - This partnership aims to enhance customer satisfaction and promote long-term growth for small and medium-sized auto shops by allowing car owners to spread out maintenance costs [3] Group 1: Partnership Details - The arrangement allows car repair shops using Shopmonkey's payment processing solution to offer pay-over-time financing through Affirm [2] - Affirm's payment options will help thousands of small and medium-sized auto shops better serve their customers [2][3] Group 2: Consumer Behavior Insights - Car owners typically spend nearly $800 annually on maintenance, and the new financing option will facilitate easier payment for necessary services [3] - Research indicates that 35% of consumers made emergency purchases of at least $250 in the past year, with a median cost of $605 [4] - Approximately half of unplanned retail purchases are made using credit, with BNPL accounting for 10% of these transactions [5] Group 3: Financial Trends - Among Americans living paycheck-to-paycheck, 75% have utilized BNPL plans, indicating a significant reliance on alternative credit sources [5] - The trend towards budget-friendly payment options is influencing consumer behavior for both large and small purchases [6] - Consumers facing cash shortfalls are more likely to use BNPL, with 8.9% reporting usage compared to those without such issues [6]

Core Insights - Affirm Holdings, Inc. has renewed its long-term capital partnership with Moore Specialty Credit, extending the agreement through May 2027, which reflects ongoing confidence in Affirm's lending model [1][9] - The partnership is crucial for Affirm as it ensures reliable, long-term funding to support growing loan originations, allowing the company to maintain its zero late fee model while scaling [2] - Affirm has handled over $33 billion in gross merchandise volume in the past year, with a funding capacity of $23.3 billion, supported by 24 asset-backed securitizations totaling $12.25 billion [3][9] Funding and Partnerships - The renewed partnership with Moore Specialty Credit signifies a decade of collaboration, with Moore having invested nearly $5 billion in Affirm's assets since 2017 [1][9] - Affirm has also deepened its partnership with PGIM Fixed Income by launching a new $3 billion revolving pass-through loan sale facility, enhancing its access to diversified, off-balance-sheet funding [4] Market Position and Performance - Affirm's shares have gained 7.8% year to date, underperforming the broader industry but outperforming the S&P 500 Index [7] - The company trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 5.40X, which is lower than the industry average, and carries a Value Score of F [11] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Affirm's fiscal 2025 earnings implies a 100.6% improvement year over year, indicating strong growth potential [13]

[Music] Final trade time. Tim Seymour. First of all, we got the intern class, the next Wall Street Titans from Morgan Stanley.Let's give it up for these guys over here. All right, make some noise. Make some noise.Anyway, uh Danny Moses, great having you. And ultimately, I think airlines have not participated. Delta Airlines is your best of breed.Danny Moses, FICO beginning to incorporate buy now pay later into people's credit scores. I will sell a firm here. Dan, yolo, you only lose one guy.Um, USO being a ...

Core Insights - Affirm Holdings, Inc. has expanded its partnership with PGIM Fixed Income by establishing a new $3 billion revolving loan sale facility, allowing PGIM to purchase up to $500 million of Affirm's consumer loans at any time over a 36-month period [1][2][9] Group 1: Financial Stability and Scalability - The new facility enhances Affirm's financial stability and scalability, providing predictable access to capital to support loan growth and meet consumer demand [3][4] - This arrangement reflects growing confidence in Affirm's loan portfolio and secures a reliable funding source for its buy now, pay later (BNPL) offerings without frequent reliance on volatile public debt markets [2][3] Group 2: Impact on Cost of Capital - The deal improves Affirm's funding flexibility and may reduce its overall cost of capital by limiting reliance on more expensive public financing options [4][9] - The revolving structure caps loan exposure at any time, ensuring liquidity and operational efficiency, which strengthens Affirm's capital position [4][9] Group 3: Market Position and Competitors - PayPal and Block are expanding their presence in the BNPL space, with PayPal launching a new physical PayPal Credit Mastercard and Block integrating Afterpay services into Cash App [5][6] - Both companies are targeting seamless omnichannel experiences to capture the growing BNPL market, indicating a competitive landscape for Affirm [5][6] Group 4: Valuation and Earnings Estimates - Affirm trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 5.09X, which is lower than the industry average, and carries a Value Score of F [10] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Affirm's fiscal 2025 earnings implies a 100.6% improvement year over year, with significant growth projected for the following year [12][13]

Core Insights - Affirm has launched a new revolving pass-through loan sale facility with PGIM Fixed Income, allowing PGIM to invest up to $3 billion over 36 months by purchasing up to $500 million of Affirm loans at any one time [1][2] - This facility expands the existing capital partnership between Affirm and PGIM, supporting Affirm's pay-over-time options for consumers [2][3] - Affirm has issued 23 asset-backed securitizations totaling $11.5 billion, with participation from over 150 capital partners [4] Funding Capacity - As of March 31, Affirm's funding capacity has increased for nine consecutive quarters, reaching $23.3 billion [5] - In January, Affirm expanded its capital partnership with Liberty Mutual Investments, allowing LMI to purchase Affirm's installment loans up to $750 million outstanding through June 2027 [5] - In December, Affirm formed a long-term capital partnership with Sixth Street, which will invest up to $4 billion in Affirm loans over a three-year forward flow agreement [6]

Core Insights - Affirm Holdings Inc. (AFRM) has raised its full-year guidance for fiscal 2025 following a strong performance in Q3, indicating confidence in its growth strategies and fundamentals [1][10] - The company expects significant growth in Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) and transaction volumes, driven by repeat customers and increased card network revenues [1][4] Financial Performance - For fiscal 2025, AFRM forecasts revenues between $3.163 billion and $3.193 billion, an increase from the previous guidance of $3.13 billion to $3.19 billion [2] - The adjusted operating margin for fiscal 2025 has been raised to a range of 23% to 23.6%, up from 22.5% to 23.5% [2] - The revenue guidance for Q4 fiscal 2025 is now projected to be between $815 million and $845 million [2] Growth Metrics - In fiscal 2023, GMV was $20.2 billion, with a year-over-year growth of approximately 32% in fiscal 2024, followed by a 36% increase in the first nine months of fiscal 2025 [3] - AFRM anticipates GMV for fiscal 2025 to be between $35.7 billion and $36 billion, an increase from the previous forecast of $34.74 billion to $35.34 billion [3][10] - The growth in GMV is attributed to partnerships with major merchants, wallet partners, and direct-to-consumer offerings [4] Competitive Landscape - Competitors such as PayPal Holdings, Inc. (PYPL) and Sezzle Inc. (SEZL) are also showing growth, with PayPal's net revenues increasing 1% year-over-year to $7.8 billion in Q1 2025 and Sezzle's GMV rising 64.1% year-over-year to $808.7 million in the same period [5][6] Stock Performance and Valuation - Over the past year, AFRM's shares have increased by 96.2%, outperforming the industry growth of 37.1% [7] - AFRM trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 4.94, which is below the industry average of 5.68 [8] Earnings Estimates - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Affirm's 2025 earnings implies a growth of 100.6% from the previous year, with five upward estimate revisions in the past 60 days [12]

Core Viewpoint - The Concerned Stockholders of Ionic Digital Inc. are advocating for change in the company's board of directors following a Delaware Court ruling that found the current board breached its fiduciary duties, leading to a new nomination of two candidates for the upcoming election [1][2][3]. Group 1: Court Ruling and Board Nomination - The Delaware Court of Chancery ruled that the Ionic board breached its fiduciary duty by reducing the board size to entrench itself during a proxy contest [2]. - The Concerned Stockholders have re-nominated Mike Abbate and Oliver Wiener for two Class I Board seats at the 2025 annual meeting scheduled for July 2, 2025 [3]. Group 2: Misleading Claims and Stockholder Rights - The Concerned Stockholders aim to correct misleading statements made by the current board, emphasizing the need for transparency and accountability [4][5]. - The current board's claims of conflicting interests with stockholders are refuted, asserting that the primary goal is to create stockholder value and generate liquidity [5]. Group 3: Candidate Qualifications - Mike Abbate and Oliver Wiener are presented as highly qualified candidates with extensive backgrounds in capital markets, corporate finance, and the cryptocurrency sector [3][11][12]. - Oliver Wiener has over two decades of experience in investment banking and has founded a private equity firm, bringing significant expertise compared to the incumbent board [8][12]. Group 4: Financial Transparency Issues - The current board has been criticized for failing to provide standard financial disclosures and has not released any data regarding costs and expenses over its existence [9]. - The Concerned Stockholders highlight the lack of transparency regarding payments to investment banks engaged by the company, raising concerns about financial management [9]. Group 5: Call to Action - Stockholders are urged to reject the current board's proxy card and support the election of Abbate and Wiener to restore transparency, accountability, and liquidity to Ionic [10].