Google deepens consumer credit push in India with UPI-linked card https://t.co/Dy3C5QaJkZ ...

Consumer Credit - U.S. consumer credit increased by $9.18 billion in October 2025, significantly missing analyst expectations of $11.80 billion and falling from September's $13.09 billion, indicating a potential cooling in consumer borrowing [2][7] - Total U.S. consumer debt reached $18.09 trillion as of October 2025, marking a 2.9% increase year-over-year [3][7] - Outstanding bankcard balances climbed to $1.08 trillion, an increase of 3.7% year-over-year, while auto loans and leases saw a 1.3% rise to $1.685 trillion [3] Regulatory Scrutiny on Tech Giants - Republican Attorneys General launched a probe in May 2025 into Apple (AAPL) and Google (GOOGL) over their handling of Chinese-owned applications like TikTok and Deep Seek, citing data privacy concerns and potential violations of state consumer protection laws [4][7]

Economic Indicators - Consumer price inflation for September and Consumer Sentiment for December will be released on Friday [1] - Delayed Personal Income and Outlays for September are expected to show a 0.4 percent increase [3] - Consumer Sentiment for December has a consensus estimate of 52.0, up from 51.0 in the prior month [3] - Factory Orders for October will also be released, with the previous month showing a 0.2 percent increase [3] - Consumer Credit for October is anticipated to increase by $9.4 billion, down from $13.1 billion in the prior month [4] Market Performance - As of 7.25 am ET, Dow futures gained 45.00 points, S&P 500 futures added 12.00 points, and Nasdaq 100 futures were up 82.75 points [2] - Major U.S. averages finished mostly up on Thursday, with Nasdaq rising 51.04 points (0.2 percent) to 23,505.14 and S&P 500 inching up 7.40 points (0.1 percent) to 6,857.12 [2] - Asian stocks ended mixed, with China's Shanghai Composite index surging 0.70 percent to 3,902.81 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng index up 0.58 percent at 26,085.08 [4][5] - European shares are trading positively, with the CAC 40 Index gaining 29.56 points (0.36 percent), the German DAX adding 154.34 points (0.65 percent), and the Euro Stoxx 50 Index up 23.29 points (0.41 percent) [6]

We serve a customer base we call the middle majority. They or if you think about credit, which we are a credit centric bank, if you've got a lot of money, you don't need a lot of access to credit. You pay cash for car, you save up to send your kids to college.If you're on the other end of the spectrum, you can't really access credit. So there's this middle group that are high income, heavy users of credit so they can afford a car, they can afford to send their kids to school, but they need to use credit to ...

Accessible version 2026 Year Ahead Outlook (ABS) Data centering on stable spreads, record volumes, weaker credit metrics Spreads mostly rangebound after tightening On net, we expect spreads for most ABS sectors to tighten over the rest of 2025 and into the 1Q 2026. Thereafter, we expect spreads to be rangebound reflecting our outlooks for credit performance and new issue supply, along with our Corporate Strategists' outlook for investment grade (IG) corporates. Furthermore, we're looking for spreads in most ...

Core Insights - The Q3 Market Pulse report from Equifax Canada indicates a rise in missed payments, with 1.45 million consumers missing a credit payment, an increase of over 46,000 from Q2 [1][3] - The national 90+ non-mortgage delinquency rate reached 1.63%, marking a 14% year-over-year increase, while total consumer debt rose to $2.62 trillion, a 3.4% increase from the previous year [2][12] - Financial stress is particularly pronounced among younger consumers, with significant delinquency rates observed in urban centers [4][6] Consumer Debt Trends - Average non-mortgage debt per consumer increased to $22,321, up $511 from the previous year [2][12] - Younger consumers (aged 18-35) are experiencing the highest levels of financial stress, with 1 in 20 missing a credit payment in Q3 [4][5] - The delinquency rate for 26-35-year-olds reached 2.45%, a 20.51% increase year-over-year, while the rate for 18-25-year-olds was 2.11%, up 16.58% [4][5] Urban Center Analysis - Major urban centers like Toronto, Vancouver, and Ottawa reported significant increases in non-mortgage delinquency rates, with Toronto at 2.27% (+19.58% year-over-year) and Vancouver at 1.27% (+18.18%) [6][8] - Smaller cities also saw increases, but to a lesser extent, with Edmonton and Halifax showing increases of 11.23% and 12.51%, respectively [6] Missed Payments and Credit Behavior - Of the 1.45 million consumers who missed a payment, 84% (approximately 1.21 million) did not hold a mortgage [7] - The report highlights a trend of increased credit card spending during the holiday season, typically rising by $300–$500 per consumer, which may lead to a further increase in missed payments in January [3][9] - Despite a modest improvement in overall card payment health, younger consumers are increasingly paying only the minimum on their credit cards [8][9] Auto Industry Insights - The auto industry is facing challenges with rising vehicle prices and high interest rates, although new auto loan volumes increased by 4.8% year-over-year [10] - Synthetic ID fraud is becoming a significant issue, contributing to an estimated $450 million loss for auto lenders annually [11]

Consumers expecting to spend about 10% less this year on holiday gifts for an average of nearly $1,600 as they prepare for higher prices according to the latest Deote holiday retail survey. Our next guest warns that consumers are strapped. We could see a January hangover.Joining us is Lockx Ganapathy of Unicus Research. She's the founder and CEO of the short investment research firm. She's also worked closely with Steve Eisman who is a friend of Fast Money of course.Locks, great to have you back. Good to se ...

OppFi (NYSE:OPFI) FY Conference Summary Company Overview - **Industry**: Specialty finance and fintech - **Company**: OppFi, a tech-enabled digital finance platform providing small-dollar, short-term, unsecured installment loans to underserved U.S. consumers through the OppLoans platform [1][2] - **Founded**: 2012 by Todd Schwartz, went public in July 2021 via SPAC [2][4] Core Business Model - **Loan Characteristics**: Transparent, fully amortizing, simple interest loans with no origination fees, prepayment penalties, late fees, or NSF fees [4] - **Operational Efficiency**: Approximately 76% of loans are processed without human intervention [4] Financial Performance - **Recent Performance**: Record originations, revenue, adjusted net income, and ending receivables reported [25] - **Profitability**: Despite challenges in 2022, the company has turned around with solid fundamentals and a strong management team [5] Market Conditions and Consumer Behavior - **Macro Environment**: General unease among consumers due to inflation and economic conditions, but no significant employment issues reported [9][10] - **Demand Trends**: Increased demand for loans as more consumers, including near-prime customers, seek financial assistance [10] Competitive Landscape - **Competitors**: Propel Holdings, Enova, OneMain, and Regional Management are noted competitors, with no significant shifts in market dynamics observed [11] - **Market Position**: OppFi operates in a unique space with a focus on higher APR loans, differentiating itself from competitors like OneMain [11] New Initiatives - **Lola Platform**: A new in-house loan management system aimed at enhancing customer experience and operational efficiency, expected to launch in early 2026 [12][13][14] - **Biddy Investment**: Acquired a 35% stake in Biddy, a revenue-based financing company for small businesses, with plans for further investment [19][20] Funding and Capital Allocation - **Funding Structure**: Two warehouse facilities totaling $400 million, with improved pricing and solid relationships with bank partners [31][32] - **Capital Allocation**: Focus on M&A opportunities, particularly in the small business and earned wage access sectors, while maintaining cash generation capabilities [37][38] Marketing Strategy - **Marketing Channels**: Utilizes lead providers, SEO, referrals, and plans to relaunch direct mail in 2025 after a suspension due to high costs [52][53] - **New Initiatives**: Exploring connected TV advertising to reach target customers effectively [54] Operational Scalability - **Efficiency Gains**: Offshoring customer service has improved operational efficiency without increasing headcount [56][58] Investor Insights - **Market Perception**: OppFi is not a subprime lender; the resilience of its consumer base and cash generation capabilities are often underestimated [59] - **Valuation Considerations**: The company's cash reserves and potential for profitable deployment are not fully reflected in its market valuation [59] Conclusion - OppFi is positioned for growth with a strong management team, innovative platforms, and a focus on underserved markets, while navigating macroeconomic challenges and competitive pressures effectively [60][61]

Market Overview - Pre-market trading has declined, reflecting a cautious sentiment towards AI infrastructure spending and a lack of economic data, particularly during what was expected to be Jobs Week [1] - The market has seen a downward trend over the past five days, moving away from all-time highs reached in late October [1] Employment Data - Non-farm payroll numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) are unavailable due to a government shutdown, with estimates suggesting a loss of 60,000 jobs last month [2] - The unemployment rate is expected to rise to 4.5%, while hourly wages are anticipated to remain steady at a year-over-year increase of 0.3% [2] - ADP reported an addition of 42,000 new jobs, which is better than BLS estimates but still indicates a weak labor market [3] - The Challenger Job Cuts report indicated 153,000 job cuts, highlighting ongoing challenges in employment [3] Interest Rate Expectations - There is a tentative expectation for a 25 basis-point interest rate cut in approximately 4.5 weeks, although market indexes may have already priced in this cut [4] - The "neutral rate" of inflation is uncertain but is believed to be higher than the optimal 2% [4] Earnings Reports - Wendy's (WEN) reported Q3 earnings of $0.24 per share, exceeding expectations by 20%, leading to a 9% increase in shares [5] - Six Flags Entertainment (FUN) posted earnings of $3.28 per share, surpassing the consensus estimate by 46.4%, although shares are down 2% in early trading [5] - Fluor (FLR) reported Q3 earnings of $0.68 per share, beating expectations by 54.55%, with shares up 4.6% in pre-market trading [6] - Constellation Energy (CEG) reported earnings of $3.04 per share, falling short of the anticipated $3.13, resulting in a 6.3% decline in shares [7] - Canopy Growth (CGC) shares increased by 12% despite reporting a loss of $0.01 per share, an improvement from the expected loss of $0.10 [8] Consumer Sentiment and Credit - The University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment report for November is expected to show a slight decrease to 53.0 from 53.6, remaining above the neutral threshold of 50 [9] - Consumer credit for September is projected to total $10.0 billion [9]

Summary of Experian FY Conference Call (November 04, 2025) Industry Overview - The conference focused on the automotive finance market, particularly retail financing trends and consumer credit information [2][3] - The presentation utilized vehicle title and registration data from DMVs and OEMs to analyze the U.S. market [2] Key Points on Retail Financing - Retail financing for vehicles has increased slightly, up nearly 2% year-over-year, with approximately 17 million transactions recorded through August [3] - Cash transactions in the retail space have risen significantly, with cash purchases for new cars at about 20% and used vehicles at an all-time high [4] - Off-lease returns are at a low of 2.2 million units, leading to a scarcity of late-model vehicles [5] Leasing Trends - Leasing rates have averaged around 24% this year, with a notable increase in off-lease electric vehicles (EVs) expected in the coming years [5][6] - Honda remains the top brand for leasing, while Tesla has seen significant growth in leasing volume [6] Consumer Credit Insights - Credit scores have been steadily increasing, with average new credit scores up by 2.755 points [8] - The subprime market has seen a modest recovery, but overall, the prime population is growing, indicating a shift in consumer demographics [10][11] Lending Landscape - Banks dominate the lending market, holding nearly 29% of the market share, while captive finance companies have seen a decline [12][13] - Banks are becoming more aggressive in lending, with some expanding their financing options to older vehicles [13][29] Affordability Challenges - The average new loan amount has reached the mid-$42,000s, significantly higher than pre-COVID levels [16][17] - Over 17% of car payments now exceed $1,000, with the Ford F-150 being the most common vehicle associated with these payments [20][21] Demographic Shifts - Households earning less than $100,000 now represent less than 50% of new car buyers, while those earning over $200,000 have increased to nearly 20% [22] - Gen X remains the largest group of car buyers, but Millennials are rapidly approaching this demographic [22] Electric Vehicle Market - EVs accounted for about 12% of the new car market as of September, with a significant portion of leases expected to return in the coming years [23][26] - The majority of used EVs purchased this year were Teslas, with a projected total of around 500,000 used EVs by year-end [26] Delinquency and Fraud Concerns - Auto loan delinquency rates have reached record highs, surpassing levels seen during the 2009 financial crisis, with 0.91% of auto balances at 60-day delinquency [40][41] - Fraud has become a significant issue, with an estimated $4 billion lost to fraud in the previous year [42][43] Conclusion - The automotive finance market is experiencing significant changes driven by affordability issues, demographic shifts, and the increasing prevalence of EVs [45][46] - The overall market remains cyclical, with lenders adapting to current conditions while facing challenges related to delinquency and fraud [48][49]