SoFi Launches Small Business Loan Platform, Attracts ARK Investment
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Oct 14 2024
0mins
Source: Businesswire
SoFi Technologies Inc. saw its stock price rise by 4.32% as it reached a 20-day high, reflecting positive investor sentiment following the launch of its new small business loan platform offering loans up to $250,000.
The launch of the small business loan platform is aimed at enabling quick access to funds for small businesses, with loans available as soon as 24 hours post-approval. Additionally, Cathie Wood's ARK Innovation ETF significantly increased its position in SoFi by purchasing over 202,000 shares, indicating strong confidence in the company's growth potential. While some analysts suggest that the immediate financial impact may be limited, the expansion of product offerings could enhance SoFi's competitive position in the long run.
This development is likely to bolster SoFi's market presence and attract further investment, especially as the company continues to innovate and expand its services, despite mixed retail sentiment observed on platforms like Stocktwits.
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Analyst Views on SOFI
Wall Street analysts forecast SOFI stock price to rise
14 Analyst Rating
5 Buy
6 Hold
3 Sell
Hold
Current: 18.610
Low
18.00
Averages
28.31
High
38.00
Current: 18.610
Low
18.00
Averages
28.31
High
38.00
About SOFI
SoFi Technologies, Inc. is a member-centric, one-stop shop for digital financial services. The Company, through its lending and financial services products, allows members to borrow, save, spend, invest and protect their money. The Company's segments include Lending, Technology Platform and Financial Services. The Lending segment offers personal loans, student loans, home loans and related servicing to help its members with a variety of financial needs. Its platform supports the full transaction lifecycle, including credit application, underwriting, approval, funding and servicing. The Technology Platform segment provides services through a diversified suite of offerings which include an event and authorization platform accessed via application programming interfaces, a cloud-native digital and core banking platform and services related to both platforms. The Financial Services segment offers a suite of financial services solutions, including SoFi Money and SoFi Invest.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
SoFi's Transformation After National Bank Charter Boosts Growth
- Business Transformation: SoFi has rapidly evolved from offering alumni loans to a comprehensive digital financial services platform after obtaining its national bank charter, with total deposits skyrocketing from $1.2 billion in 2022 to $40.2 billion, indicating strong market demand and user growth.
- Lower Funding Costs: By acquiring Golden Pacific Bancorp, SoFi significantly reduced its funding costs, with 94% of its total liabilities ($42.9 billion) now represented by deposits, which boosted its net interest income to over $2.2 billion in 2025, a staggering 781% increase from 2021.
- Deposit Attractiveness: SoFi's savings account offers a 3.1% annual percentage yield, well above the national average, attracting substantial customer deposits and enhancing customer stickiness, thereby solidifying its market position.
- Future Growth Expectations: Management anticipates adjusted earnings per share to grow at a compound annual rate of 40% over the next three years, indicating that with the support of its national bank charter, SoFi's profitability and market outlook will continue to improve.
See More
Weaker Jobs Data Diminishes Rate Hike Prospects
- Weak Jobs Data: Recent employment figures fell short of expectations, diminishing market expectations for interest rate hikes, which could impact investor confidence and market liquidity.
- Investment Recommendations: The analyst team has identified 10 stocks as the best investment choices currently, with SoFi Technologies notably absent, indicating a cautious outlook on its future performance.
- Historical Returns Comparison: For instance, Netflix and Nvidia, when recommended, yielded returns of $418,761 and $1,195,804 respectively, highlighting the potential high returns of selected stocks.
- Investor Community: Joining Stock Advisor provides access to the latest investment recommendations, leveraging its average return of 918%, significantly outperforming the S&P 500's 208% return, thereby attracting more individual investors.
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Weaker Jobs Data Dims Interest Rate Outlook
- Weak Jobs Data: The latest employment figures fell short of expectations, indicating a sluggish economic recovery, which has led to diminished market confidence regarding future interest rate hikes.
- Interest Rate Outlook Shift: The weak labor market has significantly lowered expectations for Federal Reserve interest rate increases, potentially resulting in declining bond yields that could impact stock market performance.
- Market Reaction: Following the release of the employment data, stock prices experienced volatility during afternoon trading on July 4, reflecting investor uncertainty about future economic policies.
- Challenges to Economic Recovery: The disappointing jobs data may pose greater challenges to economic recovery, as businesses might delay investment decisions, thereby affecting overall economic growth.
See More
SoFi Technologies Reports 41% Revenue Growth Amid Stock Drop
- Significant Revenue Growth: SoFi Technologies reported a 41% year-over-year increase in adjusted net revenue for Q1 2026, with its core lending business driving a 53% rise in adjusted net revenue, demonstrating strong performance even in a high-interest rate environment.
- Robust Loan Originations: Loan originations surged by 68%, with personal loans, student loans, and home loans increasing by 51%, 119%, and 137% respectively, indicating healthy growth across all loan categories.
- Rapid User Growth: The company added a record 1.1 million new members in Q1, with cross-selling accelerating to 43%, highlighting SoFi's significant expansion in the digital financial app space and its ability to convert customers effectively.
- Impact of Short-Seller Report: Despite strong overall performance, a short-seller report from Muddy Waters alleging misleading accounting practices led to a 32% drop in stock price, reflecting market concerns over its premium valuation and potential vulnerabilities.
See More
SoFi Reports Strong Growth in Q1 2026
- Core Business Growth: SoFi's core lending segment achieved a 53% increase in adjusted net revenue in Q1 2026, driving overall revenue growth of 41% year-over-year, which enhances market confidence in its future prospects despite high interest rates.
- Surge in Loan Originations: Loan originations surged by 68% year-over-year, with personal loans up 51%, student loans up 119%, and home loans up 137%, indicating significant progress across all loan categories and solidifying SoFi's market position.
- Rapid User Growth: SoFi onboarded 1.1 million new members in Q1, with cross-selling strategies accelerating cross-buy rates to 43%, which not only boosts customer loyalty but also lays a strong foundation for future revenue growth.
- Mediocre Tech Platform Performance: Despite strong overall performance, SoFi's Tech Platform segment saw a 27% year-over-year decline in sales in Q1, indicating a need for management to reassess its strategy to enhance competitiveness in this area.
See More
Wood's Fourth Consecutive Purchase of SoFi Shares
- Share Accumulation: Cathie Wood's ARK Investment Management has made four consecutive purchases of SoFi shares over the past week, including an $85,700 purchase on July 1 and approximately $5.3 million in shares over the preceding two days, indicating strong confidence in SoFi's future prospects.
- Market Reaction: Following Wood's purchases, shares of SoFi Technologies Inc. (SOFI) rose 0.88% in pre-market trading on Monday, reflecting a positive market response to her investment decisions, despite retail sentiment around SOFI remaining bearish.
- New Product Launch: SoFi recently launched Small Business Loans, offering fixed-rate financing of up to $250,000 with funding completed within 24 hours of approval, aimed at enhancing its competitive position in the market and attracting more customers.
- Investor Sentiment: While some investors view Wood's purchases as a signal to sell, many believe her historical investment timing suggests that buying during market downturns is often a smart move, reflecting trust in her investment strategy.
See More
SoFi's Transformation After National Bank Charter Boosts Growth
- Business Transformation: SoFi has rapidly evolved from offering alumni loans to a comprehensive digital financial services platform after obtaining its national bank charter, with total deposits skyrocketing from $1.2 billion in 2022 to $40.2 billion, indicating strong market demand and user growth.
- Lower Funding Costs: By acquiring Golden Pacific Bancorp, SoFi significantly reduced its funding costs, with 94% of its total liabilities ($42.9 billion) now represented by deposits, which boosted its net interest income to over $2.2 billion in 2025, a staggering 781% increase from 2021.
- Deposit Attractiveness: SoFi's savings account offers a 3.1% annual percentage yield, well above the national average, attracting substantial customer deposits and enhancing customer stickiness, thereby solidifying its market position.
- Future Growth Expectations: Management anticipates adjusted earnings per share to grow at a compound annual rate of 40% over the next three years, indicating that with the support of its national bank charter, SoFi's profitability and market outlook will continue to improve.
See More
Weaker Jobs Data Diminishes Rate Hike Prospects
- Weak Jobs Data: Recent employment figures fell short of expectations, diminishing market expectations for interest rate hikes, which could impact investor confidence and market liquidity.
- Investment Recommendations: The analyst team has identified 10 stocks as the best investment choices currently, with SoFi Technologies notably absent, indicating a cautious outlook on its future performance.
- Historical Returns Comparison: For instance, Netflix and Nvidia, when recommended, yielded returns of $418,761 and $1,195,804 respectively, highlighting the potential high returns of selected stocks.
- Investor Community: Joining Stock Advisor provides access to the latest investment recommendations, leveraging its average return of 918%, significantly outperforming the S&P 500's 208% return, thereby attracting more individual investors.
See More
Weaker Jobs Data Dims Interest Rate Outlook
- Weak Jobs Data: The latest employment figures fell short of expectations, indicating a sluggish economic recovery, which has led to diminished market confidence regarding future interest rate hikes.
- Interest Rate Outlook Shift: The weak labor market has significantly lowered expectations for Federal Reserve interest rate increases, potentially resulting in declining bond yields that could impact stock market performance.
- Market Reaction: Following the release of the employment data, stock prices experienced volatility during afternoon trading on July 4, reflecting investor uncertainty about future economic policies.
- Challenges to Economic Recovery: The disappointing jobs data may pose greater challenges to economic recovery, as businesses might delay investment decisions, thereby affecting overall economic growth.
See More
SoFi Technologies Reports 41% Revenue Growth Amid Stock Drop
- Significant Revenue Growth: SoFi Technologies reported a 41% year-over-year increase in adjusted net revenue for Q1 2026, with its core lending business driving a 53% rise in adjusted net revenue, demonstrating strong performance even in a high-interest rate environment.
- Robust Loan Originations: Loan originations surged by 68%, with personal loans, student loans, and home loans increasing by 51%, 119%, and 137% respectively, indicating healthy growth across all loan categories.
- Rapid User Growth: The company added a record 1.1 million new members in Q1, with cross-selling accelerating to 43%, highlighting SoFi's significant expansion in the digital financial app space and its ability to convert customers effectively.
- Impact of Short-Seller Report: Despite strong overall performance, a short-seller report from Muddy Waters alleging misleading accounting practices led to a 32% drop in stock price, reflecting market concerns over its premium valuation and potential vulnerabilities.
See More
SoFi Reports Strong Growth in Q1 2026
- Core Business Growth: SoFi's core lending segment achieved a 53% increase in adjusted net revenue in Q1 2026, driving overall revenue growth of 41% year-over-year, which enhances market confidence in its future prospects despite high interest rates.
- Surge in Loan Originations: Loan originations surged by 68% year-over-year, with personal loans up 51%, student loans up 119%, and home loans up 137%, indicating significant progress across all loan categories and solidifying SoFi's market position.
- Rapid User Growth: SoFi onboarded 1.1 million new members in Q1, with cross-selling strategies accelerating cross-buy rates to 43%, which not only boosts customer loyalty but also lays a strong foundation for future revenue growth.
- Mediocre Tech Platform Performance: Despite strong overall performance, SoFi's Tech Platform segment saw a 27% year-over-year decline in sales in Q1, indicating a need for management to reassess its strategy to enhance competitiveness in this area.
See More
Wood's Fourth Consecutive Purchase of SoFi Shares
- Share Accumulation: Cathie Wood's ARK Investment Management has made four consecutive purchases of SoFi shares over the past week, including an $85,700 purchase on July 1 and approximately $5.3 million in shares over the preceding two days, indicating strong confidence in SoFi's future prospects.
- Market Reaction: Following Wood's purchases, shares of SoFi Technologies Inc. (SOFI) rose 0.88% in pre-market trading on Monday, reflecting a positive market response to her investment decisions, despite retail sentiment around SOFI remaining bearish.
- New Product Launch: SoFi recently launched Small Business Loans, offering fixed-rate financing of up to $250,000 with funding completed within 24 hours of approval, aimed at enhancing its competitive position in the market and attracting more customers.
- Investor Sentiment: While some investors view Wood's purchases as a signal to sell, many believe her historical investment timing suggests that buying during market downturns is often a smart move, reflecting trust in her investment strategy.
See More
