It's been a rough couple of months for fintech stocks. The broader market is struggling but still moving forward while some financial technology names are actually losing ground ... at least as a group. The Global X FinTech ETF (FINX 1.85%) is now trading 15% below its February high, and is back to within striking distance of March's low.
Don't let this near-term, groupwide pullback deter you, though. Some of the names that got dragged into this sell-off represent companies that are still growing their profits. This weakness is ultimately a buying opportunity for select fintech stocks. Here's a closer look at three of the top prospects among these tickers.
1. PayPal
It's an oldie but a goodie. Indeed, PayPal (PYPL 0.49%) could be considered the original financial technology outfit. It launched its online payment platform in 1998 when the internet itself was still young.
The company has used all that time well. During the final quarter of last year, 435 million regular PayPal account holders collectively used the platform more than 6 billion times to purchase nearly $360 billion worth of goods and services. Reach isn't a problem. It's still the Western world's single biggest digital wallet service, in fact, by a country mile.
This size and age have worked against the stock since the middle of 2021. That's when the tailwind created by the COVID-19 pandemic started winding down. That's also when investors renewed their interest in cryptocurrencies and alternative digital payment services. The world often thinks it wants "something new" without considering the possibility that older solutions are often still the best solutions. That's largely why PayPal shares are now down a whopping 76% from their 2021 peak. Yikes.
NASDAQ: PYPL
Key Data Points
However, the stock's rout has slowed to a crawl and may be ready to reverse course for one simple reason: Throughout all the recent turbulence and despite the advent of several alternatives, PayPal continues to expand. Last year's top line was up 10%, and analysts believe its revenue will grow nearly 7% this year before accelerating to a growth pace of more than 9% next year. Earnings are growing accordingly.
There's much to be said for size, and being already entrenched.
2. SoFi Technologies
SoFi Technologies (SOFI 3.74%) isn't right for everyone's portfolio. The online bank remains in the red since its start in 2011. And the company's expected to remain in the red through this year. Some investors just need the certainty that only established, profitable companies can offer.
For other investors, though, hockey great Wayne Gretzky's key to success in his sport applies to stock-picking as well. As Gretzky explained: "I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been." Translation for investors? Stocks reflect that company's plausible future rather than its past. Trade accordingly.
To this end, know that while SoFi is projected to log another loss this year, that should be the last of them. The analyst community is calling for a swing to a profit of $0.03 per share next year, which isn't much, but it's an important milestone nonetheless. Moreover, based on the company's revenue and EBITDA trajectory, analysts are modeling on the order of per-share profits of $0.20 for 2025.
Image source: SoFi Technologies Q4-2022 investor presentation.
Take those outlooks with a big grain of salt. SoFi Technologies is still very much a work in progress with many different moving parts. Analysts' best guesses are fair, but certainly not guaranteed to be on target. Recent disruption of the entire banking industry and the specter of a recession are just some of the factors that could lead to results that are dramatically different than expectations.
Look at the bigger picture, though. SoFi is a glimpse of the future of banking, bringing together checking, savings, investing, lending, credit cards, and even insurance into a single platform. People are clearly responding to it. Yet, with only 5.2 million customers, SoFi still has massive opportunities left to grow.
3. Intuit
Last but certainly not least, add Intuit (INTU 4.16%) to your list of fintech stocks worth considering because their underlying companies can continue growing their top and bottom lines.
You may be a customer without even realizing it. Intuit is the name behind the tax-filing software TurboTax. Intuit also owns accounting software brand Quickbooks, personal finance management app Mint, CreditKarma, and mailing list management outfit Mailchimp. This suite of software is not only highly marketable but highly cross-marketable; any future acquisitions will likely be as well. These other platforms smooth out the revenue surge seen during the second quarter of the year when most taxes are filed with the IRS.
Most of Intuit's products are "rented" rather than outright purchased, driving reliable recurring revenue. (Or, in the case of Mint, the company's relationships with other financial service providers generate steady referral revenue.)
NASDAQ: INTU
Key Data Points
But growth? How much more can there be for consumer and corporate software that's been around for as long as these have been? More than you might think.
Take TurboTax, for instance. Roughly 50 million annual U.S. tax filings are made using the service every year, which is less than half the Census Bureau's figure of 131 million U.S. households (although many of them may be eligible for the platform's free tax-filing options). Many domestic small businesses are also able to use TurboTax to handle their taxes but may not be using the option yet. Meanwhile, Intuit reports there are only over 25 million Mint users. Quickbooks Online boasts only a few million customers as well, and only around 30 million users reportedly rely on the installed version of the software. That leaves lots of room for new customers to come into the fold.
They seem to be doing just that. Wall Street expects sales to improve by 11% this year and next, driving last year's per-share bottom line of $11.85 to $13.83 this year en route to $15.59 per share next year. You can't ask for much better than that from a software company of Intuit's size and age.
