Latest news with #StrideBank
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Should You Buy Chime Stock While It's Below $43?
Key Points Chime's stock has cooled off since its IPO last month. It's still growing rapidly, and its margins are improving. It doesn't look expensive relative to its long-term growth potential. 10 stocks we like better than Chime Financial › Chime (NASDAQ: CHYM), a fintech company that provides mobile-first banking services for its partner banks, went public at $27 on June 12. It started trading at $43, soared as high as $44.94 during the day, and closed at $37.11. Today, it trades at around $30. Should investors buy Chime's stock as it trades far below its opening price from its first day? Let's take a closer look at its business model, growth rates, and valuations to decide. What does Chime do? Chime isn't a bank. It only builds a user-friendly app that simplifies the banking process, and it relies on two FDIC-insured banks -- The Bancorp Bank and Stride Bank -- to hold and manage its customers' deposits. Through its app, it provides access to free checking and savings accounts with overdraft protection, early pay features, and other financial tools. It provides a Visa debit card with fee-free access to over 50,000 ATMs nationwide, as well as a secured Visa credit card to help its customers build up their credit scores. Chime mainly targets lower-income users who don't have enough assets to open higher-value accounts, which are usually excluded from those fees at traditional banks. Its early pay features (which allow its customers to access a portion of their earned wages early without accruing any interest) are useful for people who live paycheck to paycheck. However, Chime's customers don't have access to standard banking services like cashier checks, wire transfers, and money orders, and they can only make cash deposits at Green Dot retailers. They also can't take out mortgages or auto loans on the platform. Chime generates most of its revenue from its Visa debit and credit cards. Whenever those cards are used to make a purchase, the merchant pays Visa an interchange fee (also known as a swipe fee) equivalent to about 1%-3.5% of the transaction. Chime keeps up to 1% of that fee. A smaller percentage of Chime's revenue comes from The Bancorp Bank and Stride Bank, which pay out incentives based on the number of deposits it brings in. It could eventually strike similar referral deals with adjacent businesses like insurance and tax-filing companies. How fast is Chime growing? In 2023, Chime's revenue rose 27% to $1.28 billion, its gross margin expanded 4 percentage points to 83%, and its adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) margin improved from negative 40% to negative 15%. It narrowed its net loss from $406 million to $189 million. Its number of active members grew 25% to 6.6 million during the year, yet it maintained a lower acquisition cost per customer by relying more heavily on referrals and digital campaigns instead of traditional ads. As a result, its margins expanded as its revenue rose at a faster rate than its marketing expenses. Its average revenue per active member (ARPAM) also improved from $210 to $212. In 2024, Chime's revenue grew 31% to $1.67 billion, its gross margin rose 5 percentage points to 88%, and its adjusted EBITDA margin improved to nearly breakeven levels. It narrowed its net loss again to $25 million. Its number of active members grew 21% to 8 million for the year, while its ARPAM jumped 16% to $245 as its members used its cards and services more frequently. That growth indicates Chime's ecosystem is getting stickier as it rolls out more features and it's widening its moat against one-stop shop fintech apps like SoFi Technologies. Does Chime look like a bargain at these levels? In the first quarter of 2025, Chime's revenue rose 32% year over year to $519 million, its gross margin stayed flat at 88%, and its adjusted EBITDA came in at positive 5%. Its number of active members grew 23% to 8.6 million as its ARPAM rose 9% to $251. However, its ARPAM for its active members who used at least six of its products -- who accounted for 12% of its active member base during the quarter -- was $442. That high ARPAM indicates it can squeeze more revenue from its most dedicated users as its ecosystem expands. For the full year, analysts expect Chime's revenue to rise 26% to $2.1 billion with a positive adjusted EBITDA of $53 million. From 2025 to 2027, they expect its revenue and adjusted EBITDA to grow at a CAGR of 19% and 175%, respectively. With an enterprise value of $10.1 billion, Chime doesn't look expensive at 4 times next year's sales and 43 times its adjusted EBITDA. It isn't a screaming bargain yet, but it could be a great long-term play on the growth of banking services for unbanked and underbanked individuals. Should you buy stock in Chime Financial right now? Before you buy stock in Chime Financial, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Chime Financial wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $674,281!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,050,415!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,058% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 179% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 15, 2025 Leo Sun has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Visa. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Should You Buy Chime Stock While It's Below $43? was originally published by The Motley Fool
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Despite Tariff Turmoil, Bank Of America CEO Says Consumer Is 'Continuing To Spend' (UPDATED)
Editor's Note: The article has been updated to include additional content. On Tuesday, Bank of America Corp (NYSE:BAC) reported a first-quarter fiscal 2025 net income of $7.4 billion (versus $6.7 billion a year ago) and EPS of $0.90, beating the analyst consensus estimate of $0.81. Revenue, net of interest expense, increased 6.0% year over year to $27.37 billion, beating the analyst consensus estimate of $26.99 billion. This was driven by noninterest income growth across all segments and higher net interest income (NII). Stride Bank, Affirm Issue New Debit Card With Pay-Over-Time Loans Segment Net income: Consumer Banking clocked $2.53 billion versus $2.66 billion Y/Y, Global Wealth and Investment Management was $1.007 billion versus $1.005 billion Y/Y, Global Banking was $1.91 billion versus $1.99 billion Y/Y, and Global Markets was $1.94 billion versus $1.79 billion Y/Y. Investment banking fees declined by 3% to $1.5 billion. Net interest income was $14.44 billion (+3.0% Y/Y), driven by Global Markets activity and fixed-rate asset repricing. Noninterest income was $12.92 billion (+9.6% Y/Y). Provision for credit losses grew 12.2 Y/Y to $1.48 billion. The efficiency ratio for the quarter was 64.59%, compared to 66.36% Y/Y. The bank reported a CET1 ratio of 11.8%, compared to 11.9% a year ago. The book value per share of $36.39 improved by 8%. The average loan and lease balance was $1.09 trillion (+4.0% Y/Y). Average deposits are up 3% Y/Y to $1.96 trillion. Bank of America added ~1.0 million credit card accounts during the quarter. Bank of America CEO and Chairman Brian Moynihan said, "Our business clients have been performing well; and consumers have shown resilience, continuing to spend and maintaining healthy credit quality. Though we potentially face a changing economy in the future, we believe the disciplined investments we have made for high-quality growth, our diverse set of businesses, and the team's relentless focus on Responsible Growth will remain a source of strength." Outlook: Bank of America reiterated a fourth-quarter net interest income of ~$15.5 billion – $15.7 billion. Bank of America stock has lost over 17% year-to-date. In March, at least five Wall Street firms reduced their price forecasts for the stock. Last week, the U.S. financial sector got some relief after President Donald Trump announced a 90-day suspension of tariffs on countries that have not retaliated against U.S. trade actions. The financial sector is a high beta, as it tends to outperform when markets are bullish and underperform during risk-off conditions. However, Ray Dalio of Bridgewater Associates expressed concerns about a potential recession despite Trump pausing reciprocal tariffs. Price Action: BAC stock is up 4.02% at $38.14 at the last check on Tuesday. Read Next:Photo via Shutterstock UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? This article Despite Tariff Turmoil, Bank Of America CEO Says Consumer Is 'Continuing To Spend' (UPDATED) originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Stride Bank Announces Program Partnership with Affirm
TULSA, Okla., April 01, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Stride Bank, N.A., a nationally recognized leader in community banking and innovative payment solutions, today announced a payments program partnership with Affirm Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: AFRM) through which it will become a new card issuing partner for the Affirm CardTM, a debit card that enables consumers to pay in full or request to pay over time for eligible purchases in the Affirm app. "We are thrilled to collaborate with Affirm and become a new card issuer for the Affirm Card," said Jimmy Stallings, President of Stride Bank's Payments Group. "This relationship aligns perfectly with our desire to provide innovative and accessible financial solutions. We look forward to working with Affirm to support their efforts to provide products that are loved by millions of consumers." This collaboration marks a significant milestone for Stride Bank as it continues to expand its payments programs with leading financial technology companies. By serving as a card issuer on the Affirm Card, Stride Bank will help support the growing demand for Affirm's flexible and transparent payment options. "We are pleased to welcome Stride Bank as another card issuing partner bank on the Affirm Card as we continue to extend our reach to more consumers and merchants," said Vishal Kapoor, Affirm's SVP of Product. "Consumers love the Affirm Card because it works virtually everywhere, in-store or online, and anywhere Visa is accepted. Adding Stride Bank as a card issuing partner will help enable us to continue scaling Affirm Card while further strengthening and diversifying our platform so that we can improve millions more lives." With 1.7 million active cardholders as of December 31, 2024, the Affirm Card empowers consumers to take greater control over their finances, providing the simplicity of debit combined with the ability to apply and convert eligible purchases into pay-over-time loans in the Affirm app. These cardholders benefit from being part of Affirm's powerful network, which includes 21 million active consumers and more than 330,000 integrated merchants. The Affirm Card will continue to offer consumers the ability to pay in full or apply to split eligible purchases into manageable payments, with no hidden fees or gotchas. With the Affirm Card, there is no ability to revolve. Any interest is fixed with no ability to compound into principal. About Stride Bank Founded in 1913, Stride Bank, N.A. has built a steadfast legacy of trust and stability, with over a century dedicated to community banking excellence. In addition to offering a full suite of traditional financial products and services, Stride is also a leading card issuer, recognized for supporting some of the nation's largest and most innovative programs. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender. Discover more at About Affirm Affirm's mission is to deliver honest financial products that improve lives. By building a new kind of payment network – one based on trust, transparency and putting people first – we empower millions of consumers to spend and save responsibly, and give thousands of businesses the tools to fuel growth. Unlike most credit cards and other pay-over-time options, we never charge any late or hidden fees. Follow Affirm on social media: LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | X. Payment options through Affirm are subject to eligibility, and are provided by these lending partners: CA residents: Loans by Affirm Loan Services, LLC are made or arranged pursuant to California Finance Law license 60DBO-111681. The Affirm Card™ is a Visa® debit card issued by Evolve Bank & Trust or Stride Bank, N.A., Members FDIC, pursuant to licenses from Visa U.S.A. Inc View source version on Contacts Stride Bank: Marketing@ Affirm: Investor Relationsir@ Mediapress@ Sign in to access your portfolio
