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☆ PayPal adjusted margin forecast cut eclipses higher profit expectations
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Manya Saini | Thomson Reuters | Manya Saini Reports On Prominent Publicly Listed U.S. Financial Firms Including Wall Street S Biggest Banks | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Fabrizio BenschMay 8 (Reuters) - PayPal Holdings Inc (PYPL.O) on Monday cut its outlook for annual adjusted operating margin, overshadowing its profit forecast raise, sending shares in the payments firm down 5% in extending trading. PayPal expects adjusted operating margin expansion of 100 basis points this year, compared with its earlier forecast of a 125-basis-point growth. Still, the payments heavyweight raised its full-year adjusted profit forecast on the back of stronger-than-expected e-commerce trends and improved margins on cost cuts. It now expects adjusted profit growth of about 20% to $4.95 per share, above analysts' average estimate of $4.88 per share,Adjusted operating margin in the first-quarter came in at 22.7% compared with 20.7% last year. The payments firm posted a profit of $1.17 per share on an adjusted basis for the quarter, compared with 88 cents last year.

☆ Apple and fintechs like Robinhood chase yield-hungry depositors as Fed rate hikes continue
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Last month, the iPhone maker launched its Apple Card savings account with a generous 4.15% APY in partnership with Wall Street giant Goldman Sachs . "It's really a trade-off for consumers, between safety or the appearance of safety, and yield," Laplanche told CNBC. Still, the emerging group of high-yield savings products are much more mainstream than what the crypto platforms were promoting. SoFi launched its high-yield savings account in February of last year. In its annual SEC filing, the company said that offering checking and high-yield savings accounts provided "more daily interactions with our members."

☆ Block investors may seek clarity on Cash App after Hindenburg report
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Manya Saini | Thomson Reuters | Manya Saini Reports On Prominent Publicly Listed U.S. Financial Firms Including Wall Street S Biggest Banks | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

May 3 (Reuters) - Jack Dorsey-led Block Inc's (SQ.N) first-quarter results will likely see investors zoom in on the payments firm's Cash App business following U.S. short-seller Hindenburg Research's allegations including inflated user count. Morgan Stanley analysts in April said that some bearish investors remain uncertain about the amount of gross profit that is generated by "potential illicit activity" on the Cash App platform. "Eventually, bears suspect a meaningful amount of gross profit might come under pressure if regulators crack down on Cash App, and also think this makes it hard to accept that Cash App can be a legitimate, trusted bank in the long-term," they added. Block has touted Cash App as an alternative to traditional banking services. Cash App reported 51 million monthly active customers as of Dec. 31, of which 44 million were verified.

In a report published on Tuesday, Hindenburg accused IEP of overvaluing its holdings and relying on a "Ponzi-like" structure to pay dividends. The subsequent plunge in IEP shares wiped $2.9 billion off Icahn's net worth, leaving him with an estimated $14.7 billion, according to Forbes. NAV is a key gauge of a fund's performance, measuring the market value of securities held by the fund. Driving the frothiness in IEP's stock, Hindenburg argued, is its dividend yield of 15.8%, the highest of any U.S. large cap company by far. Hindenburg also offered examples it said showed IEP itself was valuing its holdings way above their market value.

☆ It's JPMorgan to the rescue
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

JPMorgan Chase is buying First Republic Bank after it was put into receivership from regulators earlier today. It's the third US bank to fail since March, following Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. The deal represents another chance for JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon to come to the rescue. Why its Wall Street rivals could follow suit. Read more on the report in The Wall Street Journal.

☆ From TikTok to partnerships, the best ways fintechs can attract quality customers amid a downturn, according to experts
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Paige Hagy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Balancing customer acquisition cost and customer lifetime value is difficult. Despite the market downturn, experts say startups need to be more savvy about going after new users. Fintechs need to take a quality over quantity approach when it comes to attracting new customers in a tightening market. One solution is to target customers who will offer greater lifetime value, Ron Shevlin, chief research officer at Cornerstone Advisors, said at the conference. Lifetime value is the amount of revenue a business will generate from a single customer.

☆ Morgan Stanley's wealth business just keeps on winning
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

It's good to be Morgan Stanley these days. Amid a difficult market for Wall Street banks — thanks in large part to non-existent deal flow — Morgan Stanley's massive wealth business has been paying off big time. But Morgan Stanley's success isn't coming in a vacuum. -Meanwhile, UBS, arguably Morgan Stanley's biggest competitor in the space, was begrudgingly saddled with Credit Suisse's carcass. With wealth advisors, a key part of hiring includes offering "bonuses" that are actually loans.

☆ Despite a tightening market, fintechs need to be more savvy and selective in how they attract new customers, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Paige Hagy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Balancing customer acquisition cost and customer lifetime value is difficult. Despite the market downturn, experts say startups need to be more savvy about going after new users. Fintechs need to take a quality over quantity approach when it comes to attracting new customers in a tightening market. But despite the difficult market, experts say fintechs shouldn't simply be looking to grow their market share by any means necessary. Lifetime value is the amount of revenue a business will generate from a single customer.

☆ How 2 Silicon Valley vets are upending traditional venture capital with an investing model the industry hasn't seen before
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Vishal Persaud | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The pair then decided to launch a venture firm, Fiat Ventures, with fintech vet Marcos Fernandez. After stints at buzzy startups in Silicon Valley, the two college buds are now making a name for themselves as the cofounders of the growth consultancy firm, Fiat Growth, and its sister venture firm, Fiat Ventures. In the case of Fiat Growth and Fiat Ventures, they have "reverse engineered" this model, where Fiat Growth acts in some ways like a platform team for its sister venture fund. Using this firsthand knowledge about industry trends and insight in startups with investing potential, Fiat Growth often passes this intel on to Fiat Ventures. How it all beganBefore cofounding Fiat Growth and Fiat Ventures, Glover and Harris became friends while on the football team at the University of California, Berkeley.

☆ Elon Musk's super-app ambitions might be a fool's errand
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Whether it's charging, or not charging, for blue check marks or blowing up mega-rockets, Elon Musk's businesses get plenty of scrutiny. Insider's Paige Hagy looked into Musk's plans around turning Twitter into a super app and spoke to industry experts about the strategy. A super app, or everything app, as Musk calls it, encompasses everything (no duh!) In short, if it's something you can do on your phone, you can do it on a super app. Click here to read more about Elon Musk's plans for creating an everything app.

First Republic reported a more than $100 billion plunge in deposits in the quarter in the aftermath of the biggest turmoil to hit the banking sector since 2008. Regional bank PacWest Bancorp (PACW.O) fell 9%, Western Alliance Bancorporation (WAL.N) 6%, Zions Bancorp (ZION.O) 5% and brokerage Charles Schwab Corp (SCHW.N) was down 4%. First Republic said on Monday it was "pursuing strategic options" to quickly strengthen the bank, without providing details. Options include an asset sale of up to $100 billion, a source familiar with the situation said on Tuesday. "So it's tough to even describe it as good asset and bad asset," Chiaverini said.

☆ When M&A takes off, these are the 27 fintechs that could get scooped up, and the firms most likely to buy them
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Paige Hagy | Bianca Chan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Why it's on the market: SMB lenders saw valuations skyrocket during the pandemic years fueled by cash-strapped businesses struggling to secure loans amid tightening lending requirements. "These sorts of businesses almost certainly got way over their skis on valuation," a partner at a California-based venture firm, told Insider. SMB lenders are potential acqui-hires or acquisition targets unless they can raise more capital, according to one New York-based partner at a large venture firm. In November 2022, Pipe announced its three cofounders would step down and start the search for a "veteran" CEO. Both experts expect to see consolidation throughout the segment, with larger consumer and SMB lenders like Ramp and Brex as potential buyers.

☆ Deloitte to cut 1,200 jobs in the US - FT
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 21 (Reuters) - Deloitte will cut around 1,200 jobs or 1.5% of its U.S. workforce, the Financial Times reported on Friday, citing internal employee communications. As growth in select practices moderates, we are taking modest personnel actions where necessary," Deloitte said in an emailed statement to Reuters. Several financial firms have slashed jobs in recent months including major Wall Street banks, asset managers and fintechs amid a turbulent macroeconomic environment that has pressured consumers and soured demand in several mainstay business units. Deloitte is part of the Big Four accounting firms that include EY, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Reporting by Jaiveer Singh Shekhawat in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh KuberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

April 19 (Reuters) - Citizens Financial Group Inc's (CFG.N) first-quarter profit missed Wall Street estimates as deposits declined and it set aside more rainy-day funds to cover for souring loans. The potential economic downturn prompted Citizens to set aside $168 million in case its customers default on their loans, compared with $3 million a year earlier. Citizens gradually set aside more money to cover potential losses on office loans, where it predicts weakness as remote working becomes more popular, while rising interest rates and a weaker economy put pressure on borrowers. Average deposits fell 2.6% to $174.4 billion in the three months ended March 31, compared with $179 billion at the end of the previous quarter. Citizens reported an underlying profit of $1.10 per share; analysts' on average had expected it to report $1.13 per share, according to Refinitiv IBES data.

☆ Allianz picks acceptable time to quit N26
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, April 19 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Allianz (ALVG.DE) is striking a blow for forlorn investors of privately held startups. While that would be a 68% discount to N26’s $9 billion valuation as of October 2021, Allianz’s exit route looks agreeably straightforward. N26 has enough cash to finance its operations until the end of 2024, when it is expected to reach profitability. The fight between banks for consumer deposits will force N26 to offer better interest rates for its customers, limiting its profit margin going foward. More to the point, Allianz doesn’t have to inform N26 of an intention to sell.

☆ Apple continues to quietly build on its fintech ambitions
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

In payments, specifically, its made progress via Apple Pay, the Apple Wallet, and the Apple Card. On Monday, Apple took another step deeper into financial services, announcing the launch of a high-yield savings account (4.15%) via its Apple Card. And now, as Goldman tries to salvage what's left of its consumer dreams, Apple continues to roll on. What's not clear, though, is what type of terms Goldman gets for serving as the back-end partner partner. Click here to read more about the top eight executives shaking up payments, including a key leader at Apple Pay.

[1/2] A Bank of America logo is pictured in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., January 30, 2019. The company "had a strong Q1 as higher interest rates continued to boost its net interest margin despite rising deposit costs," David Fanger, senior vice president at Moody's Investors Service, said. Reuters GraphicsEconomists expect the U.S. economy to slow in the second half of the year as the Federal Reserve raises interest rates to tame inflation. It expects NII to fall 2% in the second quarter compared with the first three months of this year. The company's revenue, net of interest expense, increased 13% to $26.3 billion, beating estimates of $25.13 billion.

☆ Britain seeks to boost banking services from fintechs
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"While significant progress has been made, there is more to be done to deliver the full benefits of open banking within retail banking markets, and beyond," the statement said. The recommendations from regulators will keep up momentum in open banking and extend its benefits to other sectors, said Marion King, chair of Open Banking Limited, which checks on whether the nine banks comply with open banking rules on customer data. Britain is keen to push open banking to the next stage following Brexit to attract more fintechs to set up in Britain as the European Union is poised to compete with its own version of open banking. The data protection draft law, now going through parliament, will be used to put open banking on a sustainable footing, Griffith said. "We now need to see proportionate regulation," said Janine Hirt, CEO of Innovate Finance, the UK fintech industry body.

Wells Fargo executives detailed the bank's exposure to CRE at length during a conference call with analysts. Deposits at Wells Fargo fell 2% to $1.36 trillion at the end of March, compared with $1.38 trillion at the end of last year. "Both Wells Fargo and JP Morgan delivered very, very solid results, blowing past the expected earnings. Reuters GraphicsAverage loans in the bank's commercial banking division rose 15%, while commercial loans rose roughly 7% from a year earlier. Wells Fargo is also still working to contain the fallout from a scandal over its sales practices that led to hefty fines and an asset cap imposed by the Fed.

A bank run took down Silicon Valley Bank on March 10, as depositors withdrew $42 billion in a single day. And that’s why we’ve gone to community banks and regional banks such as SVB,” Bradley said. SVB’s collapse could spark future change, entrepreneur saysBecause of these disparities, entrepreneurs also seek funding from venture capitalists. In the early 2010s, Hamilton intended to start her own tech company — but as she searched for investors, she saw that White men control nearly all venture capital dollars. That experience led her to establish Backstage Capital, a venture capital fund that invests in new companies led by underrepresented founders.

☆ The psychologists who sit between you and your dream job on Wall Street
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Nabbing your dream job might just amount to getting approved by a handful of psychologists and business strategists. Click here to read more about ghSmart, the leadership advisory firm that plays a key role in Wall Street's hiring process. Generative AI startups on the rise. PE firms big bet on food companies isn't paying off. Private-equity firms bought up the companies behind some of your favorite brands of food, but rising interest rates have ruined those investments, The Wall Street Journal reports.

☆ 27 fintechs that could be acquisition targets, and the firms that might buy them, according to VCs, investment bankers, and analysts
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Paige Hagy | Bianca Chan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Why it's on the market: SMB lenders saw valuations skyrocket during the pandemic years fueled by cash-strapped businesses struggling to secure loans amid tightening lending requirements. "These sorts of businesses almost certainly got way over their skis on valuation," a partner at a California-based venture firm, told Insider. SMB lenders are potential acqui-hires or acquisition targets unless they can raise more capital, according to one New York-based partner at a large venture firm. A spokesperson for Pipe cited the fintech's hiring of Luke Voiles, a former Square and Intuit executive, as CEO earlier this year. Both experts expect to see consolidation throughout the segment, with larger consumer and SMB lenders like Ramp and Brex as potential buyers.

☆ Fintech dealmaking is ready for prime time
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

It seems the time has finally come for some M&A, and one group is ready to go. I wrote last week about how a couple of blockbuster deals could kick off a spree of dealmaking after a long drought. Insider's Paige Hagy and Bianca Chan identified a bunch of acquisition targets in a segment of the market that is in need of some deals: fintech. One could make the point that every industry has a backlog of potential deals, but fintech seems particularly ripe. For the complete rundown on the 16 fintech and consumer-facing deals JPMorgan has made since 2020, click here.

April 5 (Reuters) - Western Alliance Bancorporation (WAL.N) said on Wednesday its first-quarter deposits were 11% lower than at the end of 2022, as customers spooked by the sudden collapse of two U.S. mid-sized lenders pulled out funds. Western Alliance said total deposits were $47.6 billion as of March 31, down from $53.6 billion at the end of 2022. Total insured deposits represented roughly 68% of its total deposits, significantly higher than the proportion at year-end. The collapses triggered the biggest banking crisis since 2008 and stoked heavy volatility in the sector, worsening existing jitters of an imminent recession. Analysts at RBC Capital Markets wrote in a note that while Western Alliance has reported a large decrease in deposits it believes that "this is ultimately an acceptable and manageable outcome for the company."

☆ Dutch neobank Bunq files application for US banking license as it tries to succeed where many European fintechs have struggled
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Dutch banking startup Bunq has launched its application for a US banking license. Dutch banking startup Bunq has launched its application for a US banking license, looking to succeed where others have failed. Europe's biggest fintech startups have pursued US banking licenses but very few have succeeded to date. The cost and difficulty of gaining approval from the FDIC is a huge barrier to entry, leading to many fintech startups to partner up with already registered institutions instead. Niknam said Bunq had the advantage of holding an EU-wide banking license through the Dutch regulator, becoming the first institution to achieve one in 35 years in 2014.

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