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☆ US Thanksgiving weekend sales hit record on big discounts, online boost
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Deborah Mary Sophia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

More than 200 million shoppers tapped into promotions both in-store and online during the Thanksgiving weekend, the National Retail Federation (NRF) said on Tuesday. That was a jump from the 196 million shoppers seen last year and trumped the trade association's estimates of 182 million. Online shoppers rose 3.1% to 134.2 million, making up for a slight dip in the number of customers who visited brick-and-mortar stores. The weekend saw about 121.4 million in-store shoppers, down from 122.7 million in 2022, according to the retail body. Adobe said discounts peaked at 31% for electronics and at 27% for toys on Cyber Monday, which is typically the biggest online shopping day in the U.S.

Persons: Kamil Krzaczynski, Matthew Shay, Vivek Pandya, trouncing, Klarna, Deborah Sophia, Juby Babu, Pooja Desai Organizations: Walmart, REUTERS, Adobe Analytics, Deloitte, National Retail Federation, Shoppers, Adobe Digital, Adobe, Thomson Locations: Chicago , Illinois, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Here are Tuesday's biggest analyst calls: Apple, Rivian, Nvidia, Boeing, Affirm, Datadog, Amazon & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Here are Tuesday's biggest calls on Wall Street: UBS downgrades ChargePoint to neutral from buy UBS said it's cautious on the EV charging company's growth outlook. " Citi reiterates Nvidia as buy Citi said it's sticking with its buy rating on shares of Nvidia. " Wells Fargo downgrades Booz Allen Hamilton to equal weight from overweight Wells said investors should wait for a better entry point for the defense contractor. Raymond James upgrades Crocs to strong buy from outperform Raymond James said it sees an attractive entry point for the show company. Wells Fargo reiterates Amazon as overweight Wells said international trends for Amazon remain healthy.

Persons: UBS downgrades ChargePoint, it's, Wells, Booz Allen Hamilton, Bernstein, Raymond James, Crocs, CROX's, Estee Lauder, Jefferies, underperform Jefferies, Evercore, Rivian, Piper Sandler downgrades Shopify, Piper, Piper Sandler, Canaccord, TD Cowen, Datadog, TD, Truist, it's bullish, Ingersoll Rand Organizations: UBS downgrades, UBS, JPMorgan, Apple, Citi, Nvidia, HSBC, RBC, Boeing, Lexeo Therapeutics, Bank of America, Virtu, Logistics, Industry Locations: U.S, DDOG, India, Ingersoll

NEW YORK, Nov 27 (Reuters) - A record amount of price-pinched holiday shoppers are expected to use buy now, pay later services for Cyber Monday to relieve stress on their wallets, according to Adobe Analytics. [1/2]A worker sorts products during Cyber Monday at the Amazon's fulfillment center in Robbinsville, New Jersey, U.S., November 27, 2023. The buy now, pay later firm saw a 29% increase in orders placed by U.S. shoppers on Black Friday, with some of the most popular items being personal electronics, televisions and kitchen appliances. It's become really, really, really popular," said Dan Dolev, an analyst at Mizuho Securities. Average basket sizes for buy now, pay later orders on Black Friday declined 32% compared to last year, according to a report from Quantum Metric, a sign that shoppers aren't making as big of purchases this year.

Persons: Klarna, BNPL, Mike Segar, It's, Dan Dolev, Arriana McLymore, Deborah Sophia, Juveria Tabassum, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Adobe Analytics, Shoppers, REUTERS, Mizuho Securities, Black, Thomson Locations: Robbinsville , New Jersey, U.S, New York City, Bengaluru

☆ Deal-hunters fuel $12 billion Cyber Monday shopping spree
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz Acquire Licensing RightsNov 27 (Reuters) - After a busy holiday shopping weekend, discount seekers are expected to spend between a record $12 billion and $12.4 billion on beauty products, electronics, toys and apparel on Cyber Monday, according to Adobe Analytics. Heavy online traffic and transactions could add up to a boost in sales by U.S. shoppers of 5.4% or more, according to Adobe. Shoppers spent $10.3 billion in the weekend leading up to Cyber Monday, up 7.7% from last year as retailers offered more discounts compared to last year. More merchandise was being discounted in the weekend leading up to Cyber Monday, according to a report from LSEG. Walmart (WMT.N) , eager to capture market share, slashed prices on Sunday night, joining the trend of retailers' early discounts on major shopping days.

Persons: Eduardo Munoz, Vivek Pandya, Pandya, TJ Maxx, Jharonne Martis, LSEG, Rob Garf, Garf, Vanessa O'Connell, Deborah Sophia, Arriana, David Gregorio, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Workers, REUTERS, Adobe Analytics, U.S, Adobe, Shoppers, Adobe Digital, Walmart, Reuters, Costco, Commerce, Insider Intelligence, Thomson Locations: Robbinsville Township, New Jersey, U.S, Salesforce, Ross

☆ Energized shoppers break one-day holiday sales record
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Whether they jostled through brick-and-mortar stores or toggled between tabs and virtual carts, holiday shoppers were eager to participate in Black Friday this year. Both in-store and online retail sales increased year-over-year unadjusted for inflation, according to Mastercard’s SpendingPulse insights, which noted that apparel, jewelry and restaurant categories saw considerable spikes. Most shoppers did their browsing and buying on their phones, with mobile purchases accounting for $5.3 billion in sales. E-commerce platform Shopify also reported record sales totaling more than $4 billion worldwide, 22% higher than last year. As holiday shopping ramps up ahead of Christmas, analysts predict a busy time for retailers over the next few weeks.

Persons: ” Grant Gustafson, Sensormatic Organizations: CNN, Sensormatic, Black, Adobe

☆ Why buy now, pay later options aren't necessarily better than credit cards
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Buy now, pay later options accounted for around $6.4 billion of online spending in October, according to Adobe Analytics. But while they may offer attractive benefits, such as interest-free payments, they aren't necessarily better or safer than using a credit card. Buy now, pay later payment options essentially allow you to take out a microloan to make a purchase, then pay back that loan in installments. While that may seem like a deal, if you're using multiple buy now, pay later plans, the payments can really add up, Rossman says. If you're choosing between using a credit card or a buy now, pay later option, here's how to decide which is right for you.

Persons: Ted Rossman, Rossman Organizations: Adobe Analytics, CNBC

Overall, Adobe estimates one in five Americans plan to use buy now, pay later plans to purchase holiday gifts. Retailers have found that customers offered a buy now, pay later option are more likely to have bigger cart sizes or to convert from browsing to checking out. In its report, the Fed cites research that finds that customers spend 20% more when buy now, pay later is available. LexisNexis Risk Solutions provides many buy now, pay later lenders with alternative credit scores for assessing consumers seeking loans, including those who may not have a traditional credit score. In the past two years, Williams has used buy now, pay later plans at stores including Target, BoxLunch, EyeBuyDirect, and Skims.

Persons: Vivek Pandya, Demishia Alford, Alford, “, ”, she’ll, I’ll, I’m, ” Kevin King, Kevin, ” Alford, Jessica Sarceda, ” Sarceda, Sarceda, Allison Williams, Williams, —, ” Jinal Shah, Charles Schwab Organizations: —, Federal Reserve Bank of New, Adobe, Adobe Digital, ”, Retailers, Fed, Consumers, Walmart, LexisNexis, Solutions, Nike, Target, Zip, Associated Press, Charles, Charles Schwab Foundation, Inc, AP Locations: Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Greensboro , North Carolina, Santa Monica , California, Amelia , Ohio

I tend to overspend during the holidays, so I asked a financial planner about spending strategies. AdvertisementEvery year, when November arrives, I start to get stressed out about holiday spending. As I took a closer look at my finances, I realized that it wouldn't make sense to drain my savings account for holiday spending and wondered about other payment strategies to use instead. FOMO makes deals seem overly importantOne of the biggest reasons I often blow through my holiday spending budget is because the deals this time of year seem so great. AdvertisementShe even suggests being transparent with people in your life about your holiday spending and savings.

Persons: —, Shinobu Hindert, it's, Hindert, FOMO, I've Organizations: Service, Brands

☆ Buy Now, Pay Later Lender Is Surfing the Private Credit Wave
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Telis Demos | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Pay-later provider Affirm, whose shares are up over 170% year to date, said it has added more buyers of loans to its funding platform. Photo: Gabby Jones/Bloomberg NewsHigher interest rates were supposed to put an end to the fast growth of buy now, pay later lenders. But right now they might actually be helping out. Unlike banks that fund their loans through their deposits, BNPL players that offer small loans and installments to shoppers need to get that money from the market, as do other nonbank financial-technology companies. So they are, in theory, more exposed to the cost of rising interest rates.

Persons: Gabby Jones Organizations: Bloomberg

☆ Buy Now, Pay Later Is Surfing the Private Credit Wave
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Telis Demos | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Pay-later provider Affirm said it has added more buyers of loans to its funding platform. Photo: Gabby Jones/Bloomberg NewsHigher interest rates were supposed to put an end to the fast growth of buy now, pay later lenders. But right now they might actually be helping out. Unlike banks that fund their loans through their deposits, BNPL players that offer small loans and installments to shoppers need to get that money from the market, as do other nonbank financial-technology companies. So they are, in theory, more exposed to the cost of rising interest rates.

Persons: Gabby Jones Organizations: Bloomberg

NEW YORK, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Shares of Affirm Holdings (AFRM.O) surged by nearly 25% on Thursday as strong demand for the buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) lender's services and higher interest rates underpinned quarterly results that beat analysts' estimates. Affirm's gross merchandise value (GMV) rose 28% to $5.6 billion, which allowed net revenue to jump 37% to $496.5 million for the quarter ended Sept 30. The company's net loss narrowed to $171.8 million, down nearly 32% from a loss of $251.3 million a year earlier. Analysts had expected gross merchandise value of $5.4 billion, net revenue of $448.5 million, and a net loss of $219.6 million, according to LSEG data. Affirm said it expects GMV to reach between $6.7 billion and $6.9 billion in the current quarter, and net revenue to come in between $495 million and $520 million.

Persons: Max Levchin, John Hecht, Chibuike Oguh, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Holdings, Analysts, Wedbush, Bank of America Global Research, UBS, Jefferies, Amazon.com, Amazon Business, Thomson Locations: New York

☆ As more consumers struggle with credit card debt, here's what to know heading into the holiday season
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Sharon Epperson | In Sharoneppersoncnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

That climbing "credit card delinquencies" rate may trend higher this holiday season. Knowing what the words credit card delinquencies mean is important because being delinquent or late with card payments can lower your credit score. Annual percentage rate (APR)If you're paying for holiday purchases with a credit card, you should know the annual percentage rate, or APR, on it before you buy. The average APR on a credit card is more than 21%, according to Bankrate, and nearly 30% for retail store credit cards. A LendingTree survey of 100 cards found some retail cards can have interest rates as high as 35%.

Persons: Matt Schulz, LendingTree Organizations: Federal Reserve Bank of New

☆ Affirm shares soar on 'buy now, pay later' deal with Amazon
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Hugh Son | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailAffirm shares soar on 'buy now, pay later' deal with AmazonCNBC’s Hugh Son joins 'Power Lunch' to discuss Amazon and Affirm's BNPL deal as shares of Affirm soar on the news.

Persons: Hugh Son Organizations: Amazon

☆ UK watchdog intervenes again in 'buy-now-pay-later' as users rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Signage is seen for the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority), the UK's financial regulatory body, at their head offices in London, Britain March 10, 2022. Companies that offer "buy-now-pay-later" (BNPL) unsecured loans are not regulated by the FCA, though it has used Britain's consumer rights law to make contracts fairer. The watchdog said its latest Financial Lives survey showed that 27% of UK adults or about 14 million people, have used BNPL at least once in the six months to January 2023, up from 17% in the 12 months to May 2022. BNPL is offered over a short period to shoppers who buy to clothes or other retail goods. Frequent users were more likely to be in financial difficulty and to have missed a payment of a bill or credit commitment, the FCA said.

Persons: Toby Melville, Clearpay, Sheldon Mills, Huw Jones, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: FCA, Financial, Authority, REUTERS, Bank of, PayPal, QVC, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Bank of England

☆ Shoppers have choices when it comes to payment plans. Here's how to pick between buy now, pay later and retail credit cards
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Ana Teresa Solá | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Using financing deals from retail credit cards also allows you to take an item home immediately after purchase, but they operate differently than BNPL plans and serve different purposes. Buy now, pay later deals can buy you 'a little extra time'"If you need a little extra time to pay something off, then a 'buy now, pay later' loan can be a really appealing thing," said Schulz. In addition, retail credit card accounts — especially newly opened ones — often include "deferred" or zero interest promotions. How BNPL, retail cards can affect your creditHoliday debt can be very sticky for cardholders. Actually, sign-ups for retail credit cards consistently spike every year in the fourth quarter, specifically November and December, according to credit bureau company Equifax.

Persons: Matt Schulz, Schulz, That's, Sara Rathner, Rathner, NerdWallet Organizations: Finance, LendingTree, Retail

☆ Klarna's buy now pay later losses are 30% below industry standard, says CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailKlarna's buy now pay later losses are 30% below industry standard, says CEO Sebastian SiemiatkowskiSebastian Siemiatkowski, co-founder and CEO of Klarna , joins 'The Exchange' to discuss the type of consumer buy now pay later plans attract, the debt collection process for missed BNPL payments, and how investors can differentiate between buy now pay later providers.

Persons: Sebastian Siemiatkowski Sebastian Siemiatkowski

☆ Jim Cramer: The rapid rise in interest rates has changed the calculus of this market
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Jim Cramer: The rapid rise in interest rates has changed the calculus of this market'Mad Money' host Jim Cramer takes a closer look at the utilities sector and BNPL.

Persons: Jim Cramer

☆ New York Fed: Many Buy Now, Pay Later users are financially fragile
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Minneapolis CNN —Buy Now, Pay Later installment payment offerings appear to be disproportionately used by people facing financial difficulties, raising concerns about the potential for greater money trouble, according to research from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York released Tuesday. New York Fed researchers delved into recently collected consumer survey data to determine who is being offered BNPL options and who uses them. They drew on data collected as part of the June 2023 Survey of Consumer Expectations Credit Access Survey, which included a set of BNPL-specific questions. “The fact that a disproportionate share of BNPL users are already financially fragile raises questions about the resilience of BNPL lending and its performance following an adverse economic shock,” New York Fed researchers wrote. The New York Fed research substantiates previously raised concerns from critics that BNPL may attract — and could ultimately harm — financially fragile individuals.

Persons: ” Organizations: Minneapolis CNN, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, New York Fed, Consumer, Survey, ” New York Fed, Consumer Financial Protection Locations: Minneapolis

Their work progressed, and an Apple investing feature was meant to roll out in 2022. Source: AppleThe Apple Card launched with much fanfare three years ago, but the business brought regulatory heat and racked up losses as its user base expanded. Earlier this year, Goldman rolled out a high-interest savings account for Apple Card users, offering a 4.15% annual percentage yield. Before Goldman's pivot away from retail banking, the company examined ways to expand its partnership with Apple, sources said. WATCH: Goldman's Apple Card faces mounting credit losses

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Goldman, Tim Cook, Loren Elliott, That's, David Solomon, Charles Schwab, Morgan Stanley's, It's, Robinhood, Elon Musk's Organizations: Apple, Goldman, Reuters Apple, GameStop, AMC, Apple Card, American Express, . Stock, eToro, PayPal Locations: Cupertino , California, U.S, Block's

"I'm bad with money." As a wealth advisor, I hear statements like this all the time from women, regardless of their age. So why do so many women grow up believing that they're bad at math and, later, bad with money? How can women develop skills and the confidence needed to manage their money effectively, if it isn't even considered to be theirs? Today, we still have a gender pay gap, which can negatively affect women's confidence with money.

Persons: we're, it's, Wells, Janet Hyde, Jane Austen Organizations: Finance, Bank of America, repays Locations: England, U.S

☆ The real reason you're using 'Girl Math' isn't as funny as the TikTok trend would make you think
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Kai Xiang Teo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

"Girl Math" is the humorous TikTok trend where users justify expenses with tricks. "Girl Math" may just be "Buy Now, Pay Later" in disguise, the experts said. "To me, the popularity of the "Girl Math" trend indicates a lot of pent-up guilt around our purchases," said Barrow. That's why it's important to disclose when "Girl Math" is humor instead of fact, said Sara Samuels, a wealth management advisor at Northwestern Mutual. AdvertisementAdvertisementFinancial educator Ellis even suggests setting aside money for savings or an emergency fund every time you make a "Girl Math" purchase.

Persons: Sam James, —, Ashley Morris, Isabel Barrow, Barrow, Erin Ellis, Ellis, Edelman's Barrow, Sara Samuels, Morris Organizations: Service, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Philadelphia Federal Credit Union, Northwestern Mutual Locations: Wall, Silicon, Philadelphia, Barrow

☆ Buy now, pay later firm Klarna cuts losses in first half but falls short of profit
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Swedish buy now, pay later firm Klarna reduced its losses by roughly 67% in the first half of 2023, as the company dramatically cut costs in a bid toward profitability. The company reported overall net operating income of 9.2 billion Swedish krona ($843.5 million), up 21% year-over-year. Failing to record a half-year profit, the firm posted a net loss of 2.1 billion Swedish krona for the period, down 67% from 6.4 billion krona between January to June 2022. Credit losses, a measure of how much the company sets aside for customer defaults, sank by 39% to 1.8 billion krona from 2.9 billion. Buy now, pay later, or BNPL, firms allow shoppers to defer payments to a later date or purchase things over installments on interest-free credit.

Persons: Klarna, Sebastian Siemiatkowski, Siemiatkowski, —, OpenAI's, David Sandstrom Organizations: CNBC, PayPal Locations: Helsinki, Finland

The January-June operating loss at the privately held (BNPL) fintech, which last made a full-year profit in 2018, was 2.01 billion crowns ($185 million) against a year-earlier loss of 6.17 billion. "We feel very confident that we'll be posting a profitable quarter very soon and then eventually also a full profitable year." Klarna Bank is a unit of Klarna Holdings, which has attracted investment from the likes of Sequoia, Permira and Silver Lake. Siemiatkowski said Klarna, whose biggest market by revenue is the U.S., now has more than 30 million users. In the second quarter, gross merchandise volume (GMV) - the value of goods purchased through Klarna - was up 14%, and revenue growth was 17%.

Persons: Sebastian Siemiatkowski, Siemiatkowski, Klarna, Supantha Mukherjee, Anna Ringstrom, Terje Solsvik, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Klarna Bank, Reuters, Klarna, Klarna Holdings, Sequoia, Thomson Locations: STOCKHOLM, Ukraine, Silver, U.S, Klarna

☆ What to know before you take advantage of your credit card’s buy now, pay later option
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The offer may sound tempting, given today's record-high interest rates on debt, which now average 20.5% for credit cards, according to Bankrate. Credit card buy now, pay later plans include American Express Pay It Plan It, My Chase Plan and Citi Flex Pay. While those BNPL companies are acting more like credit card issuers, the latter, in turn, have taken on features similar to BNPL, he noted. The choices come as rising interest rates have made carrying debt more expensive. The latest data shows consumers are struggling under rising balances, with total credit card debt recently topping $1 trillion for the first time.

Persons: Ted Rossman Organizations: American, Citi, Finance

☆ Borrowers with student loans average higher incomes, says Mizuho's Dan Dolev
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailBorrowers with student loans average higher incomes, says Mizuho's Dan DolevDan Dolev, Mizuho senior analyst, joins 'Power Lunch' to discuss the impact of student loans on consumers and BNPL.

Persons: Dan Dolev Dan Dolev Organizations: Mizuho

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