Geoffrey Kendrick: Stablecoins Bring Money into the Internet AgeOn Feb 27, Standard Chartered's Head of Global Digital Assets Research, Geoffrey Kendrick, stated in an interview with the Deribit channel that stablecoins are bringing money into the internet age as a global solution.This significantly enhances corporate capital efficiency; for instance, mid-sized S&P 500 companies can maintain revenue with smaller balance sheets. Furthermore, despite 1.7 billion unbanked people globally, anyone with a phone c ...

RT Wenaltseason? (@wenaltseason)@DashpayOne of crypto’s earliest payment networks, Dash continues to focus on decentralized digital payments and financial inclusion, with tokenization increasingly intersecting with global settlement rails. https://t.co/QZi4M5Ax3L ...

Core Insights - Pathward Financial reported a strong position in its first-quarter fiscal 2026 results, driven by growth in its core sponsor banking business and disciplined expense management [4][12] - The company aims to enhance financial inclusion for underserved consumers and businesses through stable deposits and specialized lending [1][3] Business Model and Strategy - Pathward operates with a differentiated model focused on partner programs, facilitating various payment solutions including issuing sponsorship and merchant acquiring [3][4] - The company's value proposition is built on four pillars: experienced leadership, streamlined operations, commitment to partner success, and a consultative governance approach [2] Financial Performance - Pathward reported a net income of $35.2 million and earnings per share (EPS) of $1.57, reflecting year-over-year increases of 17% and 28% respectively [7][17] - The company raised its fiscal 2026 EPS guidance to a range of $8.55 to $9.05, assuming no additional rate cuts and ongoing share repurchases [22] Revenue Growth Drivers - Management identified three primary sources of revenue growth: balance sheet optimization, fee income from loan origination and sales, and non-interest income from new partner products [9][12] - Tax season enrollment is up over 11% year-over-year, indicating strong demand for tax-related financial products [10][11] Balance Sheet and Credit Metrics - Total deposits were $6.4 billion, down $170 million from the previous year, while average deposits increased by approximately $90 million [18] - Loans and leases increased to $5.0 billion, driven by a $531 million rise in commercial finance loans [19][20] - The company maintained low annualized net charge-offs at 0.4%, with a focus on collateral management [21] Liquidity and Capital Actions - Pathward reported liquidity of $3.7 billion and has been actively repurchasing shares, with about 652,000 shares bought back at an average price of $72.07 [22]

“As Web3 evolves and becomes more relevant, we have been working on financial inclusion.” - Rene Reinsberg, Co-founder Celo https://t.co/CtLJWDX6hd ...

RT BSCN (@BSCNews)🇦🇷 BUENOS AIRES × BINANCE = SMART ADOPTION!The city signs an agreement with @binance to promote responsible crypto education and financial inclusion. Details 👇https://t.co/s4wqMXmCit ...

Partnerships & Adoption - Buenos Aires signs agreement with Binance to promote responsible crypto education and financial inclusion [1] - The agreement aims to foster smart adoption of cryptocurrency [1]

🇦🇷 BUENOS AIRES × BINANCE = SMART ADOPTION!The city signs an agreement with @binance to promote responsible crypto education and financial inclusion. Details 👇https://t.co/s4wqMXmCit ...

RT Ripple (@Ripple)“We think of stablecoins as becoming the most essential core infrastructure of financial services.”@Schuman_io CEO Martin Bruncko joins @coindesk’s @SamEwen and discusses how stablecoins are streamlining global transactions, enhancing financial inclusion, and driving new growth and efficiency in finance. ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported earnings per diluted share of $7.87 for the year, representing a year-over-year growth of 9% [5] - Net income for the year was $185.9 million, driven primarily by a 10% increase in non-interest income compared to last year [5] - The full-year net interest margin was 7.34%, and the adjusted net interest margin was 5.92% [5] - Return on average assets for the year was 2.46%, and return on average tangible equity was 38.75% [5][22] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - In the consumer segment, the company announced three new agreements, including partnerships with Trustly and Stripe, enhancing their product offerings [6] - In credit solutions, the company partnered with Upstart to offer personal loans, aligning with their goal of financial inclusion [7] - The commercial finance segment saw total loans and leases grow by 14%, with significant improvements in origination dollars per FTE and a decrease in days to fund [8] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Deposits held on the company's balance sheet totaled $5.9 billion, a modest increase of $12 million year-over-year [18] - Loans and leases at September 30 were $4.7 billion, compared to $4.1 billion last year, with growth primarily from commercial finance verticals [19] - Non-performing loans increased in the quarter, but the company believes they are well collateralized and manageable [21] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on maintaining an optimized balance sheet and investing in technology to facilitate growth and scalability [9][10] - The 2026 strategy emphasizes the importance of people and culture, with a commitment to building a talent pipeline and enhancing collaboration [11] - The company aims to mature its risk and compliance framework to support partner success and ensure regulatory adherence [12][13] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the groundwork laid in 2025 for future growth, despite challenges faced [4] - The company reiterated its fiscal year 2026 guidance for earnings per diluted share of $8.25 to $8.75, assuming no rate cuts and an effective tax rate of 18% to 22% [23] - Management acknowledged the potential impact of tax code changes on consumer behavior in the tax preparation market [8] Other Important Information - The company repurchased approximately 181,000 shares at an average price of $82.95 during the quarter, bringing full-year repurchases to almost 2.1 million shares [22] - The liquidity position remains strong with $2.3 billion available, higher than the previous year [22] Q&A Session Summary Question: Details on the Upstart program and its financial impact - The Upstart program is similar to other marketplace lending products, with credit indemnifications in place and a short hold period of 30 days or less [28][30] Question: Demand for early wage access loans and impact of government shutdown - Management does not expect significant impact from the government shutdown, but anticipates increased volume from the Claire's contract with Intuit [39] Question: Growth expectations in the tax business due to tax law changes - Management expects a solid tax year but does not have huge growth expectations due to a strong prior year [40][41] Question: Non-performing loans and their correlation with past-due loans - Management clarified that non-performing loans do not correlate with past-due loans, as they manage collateral effectively [42][43] Question: Future pace of share repurchases - The buyback ratio is expected to return to historic norms, targeting an 80% to 90% payout ratio [47]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported earnings per diluted share of $7.87 for the year, representing a year-over-year growth of 9% [5] - Net income for the year was $185.9 million, driven primarily by a 10% increase in non-interest income compared to last year [5] - The full-year net interest margin and adjusted net interest margin were expanded to 7.34% and 5.92% respectively [5] - Return on average assets for the year was 2.46% and return on average tangible equity was 38.75% [5][22] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - In the consumer segment, the company announced three new agreements, including partnerships with Trustly and Stripe, enhancing their product offerings [6] - In credit solutions, the company partnered with Upstart to offer personal loans, aligning with their goal of financial inclusion [7] - The commercial finance segment saw total loans and leases grow by 14%, with significant improvements in origination dollars per FTE and reduced days to fund [8] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Deposits held on the company's balance sheet totaled $5.9 billion, a modest increase of $12 million year-over-year [18] - Loans and leases at September 30th were $4.7 billion compared to $4.1 billion last year, with growth primarily from commercial finance verticals [19] - Non-performing loans increased in the quarter, primarily driven by one working capital loan, but the company believes they are well collateralized [21] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on maintaining an optimized balance sheet and investing in technology to facilitate evolution and scalability [9][10] - The 2026 strategy includes enhancing the client experience and continuing to evaluate new opportunities for partnerships [14] - The company aims to sustain momentum in its culture and talent acquisition efforts, emphasizing remote working as a recruitment tool [11] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the groundwork laid in 2025 for future growth, despite challenges faced [4] - The company reiterated its fiscal year 2026 guidance for earnings per diluted share of $8.25-$8.75, assuming no rate cuts and an effective tax rate of 18%-22% [23] - Management acknowledged the potential impact of tax code changes on consumer behavior in the tax preparation market [8] Other Important Information - The company repurchased approximately 181,000 shares at an average price of $82.95 during the quarter, bringing full-year repurchases to almost 2.1 million shares [22] - The sale of the majority of the held-for-investment consumer portfolio is expected to put downward pressure on pre-tax income and net interest margin in 2026 [23] Q&A Session Summary Question: Details on the Upstart program and its financial impact - Management confirmed that the Upstart program is similar to other marketplace lending products, with credit indemnifications in place [28] Question: Duration of loans on the balance sheet and exclusivity of the Upstart partnership - Loans are typically held for 30 days or less, and the partnership with Upstart is not exclusive [30][31] Question: Demand for early wage access loans and impact of government shutdown - Management indicated that the impact of the government shutdown has not yet been seen, but expects significant volume from the Claire's contract with Intuit [39] Question: Growth expectations for the tax business in fiscal year 2026 - Management expects solid growth in the tax business, influenced by recent tax law changes, but does not have huge growth expectations due to a strong prior year [40][41] Question: Insights on non-performing loans and their resolution - Management explained that non-performing loans can spike without warning but emphasized their ability to manage collateral effectively [42][44] Question: Future pace of share repurchases - Management indicated that the buyback ratio will return to historic norms, targeting an 80%-90% payout ratio [47]