Webull Corporation delivers digital trading and wealth management tools for retail investors in the online brokerage sector.Yong Rong (HK) Asset Management Ltd disclosed a new position in Webull Corporation (BULL 4.22%) as of January 29, acquiring 5 million shares in an estimated $38.85 million trade based on quarterly average pricing.What happenedAccording to an SEC filing published January 29, Yong Rong Asset Management initiated a new position in Webull Corporation (BULL 4.22%), acquiring 5 million share ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Bancorp reported earnings of $1.28 per share for Q4 2025, reflecting an 11% year-over-year growth in EPS [4] - GDV (Gross Deposit Volume) increased by 16% in Q4 compared to the prior year, with a total annual growth of 17% in 2025 [4][5] - Revenue growth for the quarter was 3% year-over-year, excluding credit enhancement income [4] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Credit sponsorship balances reached $1.1 billion, up 40% from Q3 and 142% year-over-year [5] - Consumer fintech loans increased by $644 million, now constituting 15% of the total loan portfolio, which grew to $7.26 billion [8] - Non-interest income, excluding credit enhancement, accounted for over 30% of revenue in the quarter, with approximately 90% of fees coming from the fintech business [9] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Average deposits in Q4 were $7.6 billion, with an average cost of 177 basis points [9] - Criticized assets decreased from $268 million to $194 million, a 28% decline quarter-over-quarter [6] - Delinquency rates improved from 2.19% to 1.6% of loans from Q3 to Q4 [6] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The Bancorp is focused on three main fintech initiatives aimed at creating significant shareholder value, including credit sponsorship, embedded finance platform development, and new program implementations [5] - The company is targeting a 2026 EPS guidance of $5.90, with a preliminary 2027 guidance of $8.25, which includes stock buybacks [12] - The strategy emphasizes optimizing funding costs and increasing revenue through off-balance sheet deposits and fintech partnerships [22][40] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in achieving the EPS targets for 2026 and 2027, citing strong tax season expectations and ongoing fintech initiatives [20][21] - The impact of the government shutdown on GDV was noted, but management does not foresee it affecting Q1 2026 significantly [20] - The company is optimistic about the growth of credit sponsorship and the overall fintech business, expecting substantial improvements in financial metrics [5][9] Other Important Information - Non-interest expense for Q4 was $56.2 million, which included $2 million from a legal settlement [10] - The Bancorp repurchased $150 million of its stock in Q4, totaling $375 million for the year [11] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you provide more details on the EPS ramp and revenue drivers? - Management highlighted large revenue opportunities and confidence in upcoming announcements regarding credit sponsorship and the embedded finance platform [15][16] Question: What were the primary drivers affecting Q4 results? - Key drivers included legal fees, the unexpected duration of the government shutdown, and the timing of credit sponsorship growth [18][19] Question: What is the plan for off-balance sheet deposits? - The company expects to continue generating deposit growth while optimizing the mix of on and off-balance sheet deposits to enhance earnings [22][39] Question: Can you discuss the refinancing of REBL loans? - Some refinancings were with new partners, and the existing properties are in stronger positions than when originated, with lower interest rates due to the current environment [29] Question: How does the company view the threat of fintechs obtaining bank charters? - Management believes many partners will not seek licenses and emphasizes the scalability and low-cost benefits of their platform [36][38]

Transaction Overview - CVBF will acquire Heritage Commerce in a 100% stock transaction with a fixed exchange ratio of 0.6500x CVBF shares for each HTBK share[29] - The deal is valued at $811 million, or $1300 per Heritage Commerce share[29] - Pro forma ownership will be approximately 77% CVBF and 23% Heritage Commerce[29] Financial Impact - The acquisition is expected to result in 132% EPS accretion for CVBF by 2027E[29, 45] - The transaction is expected to cause a (77%) tangible book value per share dilution, with an earnback period of 25 years[11, 29, 43] - The deal is projected to yield a 150% ROAA and 168% ROATCE by 2027E[11] Strategic Rationale - The merger will expand CVBF's presence into the desirable Bay Area markets[1, 11] - Heritage Commerce is the 2 mid-sized bank in the Bay Area by deposits, with $48 billion[19] - The combined bank will become the 5 mid-sized bank in California[19] Key Assumptions - The deal includes estimated cost savings of 35% of Heritage Commerce's 2027E operating noninterest expense, which is approximately $43 million[31] - One-time expenses are estimated at approximately $75 million pre-tax[31]

Industry Events & Discussions - Bybit's Ben Zhou participated in Fintech Abu Dhabi during @ADFinanceWeek 2025 [1] - The discussion focused on the future of payments, covering crypto infrastructure, trust, simplicity, and real-world adoption [1] - The conversation included leaders from Tabby and Google [1] Company Branding - Bybit promotes its involvement with the hashtag Bybit CryptoArk [1]

Fintech Strategy - NatWest Group 正在采取措施颠覆金融科技行业 [1] - NatWest Group 与 OpenAI 等公司合作以吸引未来客户 [1] Industry Outlook - 行业需要领先于时代才能吸引客户 [1]

Crypto Adoption - Walmart-backed fintech OnePay 将提供比特币和加密货币交易及托管服务 [1] - 行业对加密货币的接受度呈乐观态度 (Bullish) [1]

Market Performance & Outlook - Q3 saw major averages rise, with the S&P up 7%, NASDAQ up 105%, Dow up 45%, and Russell up 11% [2] - The rally is expected to continue, but not necessarily at the same pace as Q3 [2] - US XUS is performing even better, with some stocks like Santandere up 130% year-to-date [3] - Over half of the portfolio is up over 20% year-to-date, with financials like Goldman and JP Morgan performing well [4] Portfolio Adjustments & Strategy - Goldman is up 70% and JP Morgan is up 50% over the last 52 weeks, leading to trimming positions and adding to Berkshire [5] - Berkshire is viewed as insurance, providing a safety net in case of an economic slowdown, with a large cash pile for potential deployment [6] Individual Stocks & Sectors - UBS includes Amazon and Disney on their highest conviction calls list [7] - Disney needs to regain momentum through earnings, particularly from streaming growth including ESPN [8] - Apploving is on the list, with skepticism built into the stock price despite revenue growth [12] - Snowflake, a software name related to AI, has performed well year-to-date and is differentiated in the AI software conversation [13][14] - Mastercard is a long-term holding, with potential opportunities related to stable coins [15] Fintech & IPOs - Wealthfront, a robo advisor, is going public after VCs have been invested for 13 years [17] - Robo advice has become a commodity offering, with limited unique value proposition [18][19] - Wealthfront's business model is primarily a customer acquisition cost (CAC) business [19] - Despite a hospitable tape for fintech investments, the potential for Wealthfront as a great investment is uncertain [20]

Naver Financial, the fintech arm of South Korea’s largest portal Naver, has agreed to a share-swap deal with Dunamu, operator of Upbit. The move effectively gives Naver control of Korea’s No.1 crypto exchange and marks its entry into the digital finance and won-pegged stablecoin market.https://t.co/JFyYGzQlDq ...

Google set the standard. Polyhedra zkML accelerates it.Together, this means faster adoption across fintech, consumer AI, and enterprises.The agent economy is coming — we’re here to make it verifiable. ...

SPAC IPO - FutureCrest SPAC filed for a $250 million Nasdaq IPO [1] Target Industry - The IPO targets companies in the AI and fintech sectors [1]