Good morning. I was in Scottsdale yesterday, recording a podcast on site at Deloitte’s Next Generation CEO Program, when news about the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk began to trickle in. We had been talking about the challenge of being a public figure in business or politics these days, the need for visionary and visible leadership, when visibility can come at a price.Many CEOs have been on high alert since UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was gunned down in midtown Manhattan last year whi ...

Swedish fintech Klarna begins trading on the New York Stock Exchange.KlarnaThe Swedish buy-now, pay-later firm Klarna began trading on the New York Stock Exchange Wednesday afternoon at $52, up 30% from its $40 initial public offering price. High investor demand had allowed it to boost its initial public offering price to $40 late on Tuesday (above its stated target of $35 to $37) pushing its offering valuation to $15.1 billion. The firm raised $1.37 billion through its offering of 34.3 million shares, with ...

Industry Trend - A buy-now, pay-later app is revitalizing Venezuela's stock exchange [1] Company Strategy - The app aims to alleviate the financing burden of its merchant partners [1] Business Focus - The app facilitates purchases ranging from clothing to tires in Venezuela [1]

Core Insights - Sezzle's stock surged 51% following strong first-quarter results and an upward revision of guidance [1] - The company reported a 64.1% increase in gross merchandise volume (GMV) to $808.7 million, with customer purchase frequency rising from 4.5 to 6.1 times [3] - Revenue soared 123.3% to $104.9 million, significantly exceeding estimates of $64.8 million [3] - Operating income increased by 260.6% to $49.9 million, resulting in an operating margin of 47.6% [4] - GAAP earnings per share rose from $0.22 to $1.00, surpassing the consensus estimate of $0.32 [4] Company Performance - Sezzle had 658,000 users in the quarter, indicating strong user engagement [4] - CEO Charlie Youakim attributed the success to investments in innovation and consumer experience, leading to increased engagement and performance [5] - The company raised its 2025 net income guidance by nearly 50% to $120 million due to stronger consumer activity and repayment trends [5] Future Outlook - Management increased total revenue growth guidance for the year to 60%-65%, up from a previous estimate of 25%-30% [6] - Expected earnings per share were raised to $3.25 from $2.21 [6] - Sezzle is positioned as a competitive player in the BNPL market, offering unique features such as user control over credit bureau reporting [5] - The stock is considered reasonably valued with a price-to-earnings ratio of 25, suggesting potential for further growth [7]