What happened
According to a SEC filing dated Jan. 30, 2026, Brown University initiated a new position in Chime Financial (CHYM +2.17%) by acquiring 102,805 shares. The estimated transaction value was approximately $2.59 million, calculated using the average quarterly closing price.
What else to know
- This was a new position for Brown University, representing 1.8% of its 13F reportable assets under management after the trade.
- Top holdings post-filing include:
- NYSE:OBDC: $40.09 million (28.1% of AUM)
- NYSE:OWL: $38.39 million (26.9% of AUM)
- NYSE:STUB: $27.90 million (19.6% of AUM)
- NYSEMKT:GLD: $15.65 million (11.0% of AUM)
- NASDAQ:IBIT: $10.55 million (7.4% of AUM)
Company overview
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Price (as of Jan. 31, 2026) | $25.42 |
| Market capitalization | $9.52 billion |
| Revenue (TTM) | $2.07 billion |
| Net income (TTM) | -984.77 million |
Company snapshot
Chime Financial is a leading U.S. fintech platform that offers mobile banking services, including checking, savings, early paycheck access, and overdraft protection. It generates revenue primarily through interchange fees earned from card transactions processed via partner FDIC-insured banks. The company targets U.S. consumers who make under $100,000 annually, focusing on low-cost products.
What this transaction means for investors
Brown University’s investment makes a lot of sense, as college students are one of Chime’s target consumers. Many people may not know that a university has an investment portfolio public like this. The stock investments are part of Brown’s endowments, which are long-term investment portfolios that can be used for institutional needs such as faculty pay, scholarships, research studies, and as reserves in the case of low or no tuition enrollment. Endowments are often managed by investing professionals.
Brown’s portfolio isn’t as robust as you’ll see with a typical portfolio of an investment firm. The school has only 10 holdings in its portfolio, ranking 7th among Chime’s holdings.
Chime’s negative net income may look alarming, but it’s common for companies that just went public to have negative net margins, especially since the fintech firm hasn’t been on the market for more than a year. It’s still too early to predict Chime’s long-term stock performance, but for those who are optimistic and want to get in while the stock is still young and posting negative returns, the opportunity is still fresh.
