Affirm Stock Jumps on Latest BNPL Deal. It’s Part of a Pattern.

Story by Nate Wolf

 • 2h • 

1 min read

Affirm Holdings stock leapt by double digits Monday after the company unveiled a partnership to offer buy-now, pay-later loans to shoppers at World Market, the national specialty retail chain.

World Market customers can now apply for Affirm’s payment plans at checkout online and at the retailer’s 246 U.S. locations. The payment options were already advertised prominently on World Market’s website on Monday.

Affirm stock climbed 14% to $52.91 on the news. It clawed back nearly all the losses it took on Friday, when the company’s fourth-quarter revenue guidance came in below Wall Street’s expectations.

Affirm stock tends to spike when the company announces major retail partnerships.

In 2021, shares soared on the news that Affirm would debut its BNPL options on Amazon.com. Conversely, the stock tumbled this March after fintech rival Klarna replaced Affirm as Walmart’s exclusive BNPL provider.

Affirm reported 44% volume growth in 0% APR loans—its core BNPL product—in the March quarter.

The fintech company also got a boost from analysts at Goldman Sachs, who maintained a Buy rating for the stock. They raised their target for the stock price to $58 from $45 shortly after the World Market partnership announcement.

川普签史上最具影响力行政令 美国人不再为他国买单！

 周一，总统川普签署了一项重大行政命令，力图大幅削减美国民众在处方药上的支出。他宣布实施所谓“最惠国政策”（Most Favored Nation Policy），意味着美国政府将只支付与全球最低药价国家相同的价格购买药品。

川普在白宫强调，这一举措是“做正确的事”，他不会让自己或共和党被“大药厂”（Big Pharma）通过竞选捐款收买与操控。

他指出，美国药价远高于其他国家的根本原因在于外国政府通过压价迫使药厂在海外低价销售，而美国则被当成了“冤大头”。“别的国家只花我们零头的钱买同一种药，美国人为啥要当傻子？”他质问道。

川普特别点名当前炙手可热的减重药物GLP-1类药品，称其为“瘦身针”，如Ozempic、Wegovy等。他指出，这类药在美国的售价高达其他发达国家的十倍。例如，他的一位身材肥胖的朋友在伦敦只花了88美元购买这种药，而在纽约却要1300美元。

川普痛批民主党为药厂“撑腰”，同时也将这一价格差距称为国家的“耻辱”。

在卫生与公众服务部长小罗伯特·肯尼迪（Robert F. Kennedy Jr.）、医保中心主任梅赫梅特·奥兹医生（Dr. Mehmet Oz）等多位官员陪同下，川普在白宫正式签署行政令，并宣布该政策即日起生效。

“从今天开始，美国将不再补贴外国人的医疗成本。我们一直在无形中补贴别人。”川普表示，“别的国家花的是我们几分之一的钱，却享受着同样的药品。”

他预计该政策将使某些药品价格下降50%至80%，部分药品甚至有可能下降90%。不过目前还不清楚这是否能直接惠及消费者（尤其是没有医保的人），看起来主要是针对政府从药厂采购的药品价格进行压低。

“从今天起，一些处方药的价格将在极短时间内下降50%、80%，甚至90%。”川普说。

他警告：“大药厂可以选择主动配合，否则我们将动用联邦政府的力量，迫使他们遵守国际最低药价标准。”

川普在周日晚间的社交媒体上预告称，这是“美国历史上最具影响力的行政命令之一”。

白宫官员表示，这项新政策范围比川普第一任期内尝试推行的类似提案更广。当时的计划只影响到大约7000万名65岁以上老年人使用的Medicare B类药物（如癌症治疗用的注射剂和疫苗），而这次则将范围扩大。

据白宫透露，这次重点打击的是那些美国价格远高于国际市场的药品，其中最突出者正是Ozempic、Wegovy等GLP-1类减肥药。

“我们会特别关注价格差异最大、花费最高的药品。”一位官员说，“GLP-1类药物正好符合这两个标准，当然会成为重点对象。如果药价还不降，我们将启用更多政策工具来迫使其降价。”

川普在Truth Social上发文称，“美国人为同一种药花的钱远远超过其他国家，真是难以启齿。这些药都是在相同的实验室研发，怎么能出现如此差距？”

他指出，药企常以“研发成本”为由解释美国价格高，但这种说法不合理。“所有的成本应该用药的人一起承担，为什么只由美国人来承担？我们不是‘冤大头’。”

“过去，药厂靠政治献金就能摆平一切，但这在我这里不行，也不会在共和党继续发生。我们要做正确的事，这是民主党多年也做不到的。”

白宫官员强调，如果药厂不配合谈判降低价格，将会采取强制手段。“这是一套全面而强硬的改革计划，总统对此非常认真。”

他还指出，美国仅占全球人口不到5%，却贡献了全球制药业约75%的利润。“外国在享受美国患者的‘补贴’，这不公平。美国人不应该为全球医药创新买单。

根据行政命令，未来30天内，肯尼迪将设定美国药价下调目标，并与药企高层开启谈判。若谈判失败，卫生部将通过制定新规强制执行最低国际药价。

此外，川普还将允许以“最惠国价格”直接向美国消费者销售药品，并扩大从其他国家进口价格更低的药品。

商务部也会考虑对美国药品出口进行限制，以阻止国外因低价购入美国药而进一步推高本国价格、压低美国售价的行为。

在运作上，美国联邦政府通过 Medicare、Medicaid 采购药品，占据巨大市场份额。通过集中采购、引入国际药价参考机制，确实可能压低部分药物价格。同时，药价问题也是美国选民最为关注的民生议题之一，推出该政策无疑能迅速聚拢民意支持，在政治上为川普和共和党赢得实质性红利。

然而，一向靠美国市场获取高额利润的药企势必会对这项行政令发起激烈反击。制药业是华府最具影响力的游说集团之一，仅2018至2024年，Big Pharma就在国会游说上投入数十亿美元。如果利润遭遇50%至90%的削减，它们几乎可以确定会通过法律诉讼、威胁断供、延迟新药上市等手段进行反制。

但对于普通民众而言，这一政策无疑传递出一个强烈信号：美国政府终于愿意挑战药企利益，直面医疗成本问题。无论最终效果如何，川普这一步棋已为“美国优先”理念注入了新的现实意义。

面对强劲反弹的美股，被散户“逼空”的机构很尴尬

 近期，美股市场在纷纷扰扰中走出了一波出人意料的强劲反弹。标普500指数自4月8日触底以来，短短一个月内飙升14%。

然而，这轮涨势的主导者并非华尔街的专业机构，反而是无所畏惧、大举“抄底”的散户投资者——机构们此前因对经济增长放缓和贸易摩擦的忧虑而大规模离场。

手握重金却踏空行情的机构们，如今正面临着被市场“逼空”式的回补压力，处境颇为尴尬。

散户无畏抢筹，机构踏空徒呼“看不懂”

“这行情太累人了，”Mahoney Asset Management的首席执行官Ken Mahoney的感慨道出了许多机构人士的心声，“根本没有剧本可以参考。”

在经济前景不明和贸易政策变数面前，专业投资者普遍选择了谨慎。Mahoney的公司目前仍持有约40%的现金，但也已在市场的凌厉攻势下，开始“不情愿地”买入一些估值相对便宜的软件股。

与机构的步步为营形成鲜明对比的，是散户投资者的狂热。

美国银行的数据显示，截至5月2日，其个人投资者客户已连续21周净买入股票，创下自2008年有数据记录以来最长的持续买入周期。

当2月底市场大幅回调之际，正是散户在大举买入，而机构则以接近创纪录的速度撤离美股。

64岁的前华尔街经纪人、如今在亚利桑那州进行日内交易的Jay Rice便是这股散户力量的缩影。他正积极涌入英伟达和亚马逊等科技龙头股，并通过将大额交易拆分成小批量的方式来应对潜在的波动。

“当市场像这样动荡时，交易确实更难，但我喜欢这种状态，”Rice在电话中表示，“特朗普关于贸易威胁的反复无常可能让事情变得非常困难，但我仍在买入。”

机构被迫“上车”？

持续上涨的市场，似乎也在迫使机构重新考虑入场。

另类投资公司Cohalo的管理负责人Colton Loder）犀利地指出：

“这是一轮不受欢迎的反弹。但仅仅基于头寸被大幅削减这一点，未来几周就很可能引发买盘，无论贸易或货币政策方面传来什么消息。”

市场的技术面似乎也在“配合”这一趋势——波动率的显著下降也为机构增加了回补的压力。

根据Tier 1 Alpha的数据，由于4月9日标普500指数历史性的9.5%反弹从一个月计算中剔除，该指数的一个月实际波动率在周四下降了17点。这种波动率的下降将导致风险溢价模型快速正常化，使投资者能够增加其市场敞口。

“这并非要承担更多风险，”Mahoney解释道，“我们积累现金是为了在像现在这样被迫追涨时使用。但我们依然谨慎。”

与此同时，一些趋势跟踪型基金如商品交易顾问基金（CTAs）也开始显露回补迹象。

据高盛交易部门观察，此前因贸易摩擦引发的剧烈波动而持续卖出股票的CTAs，近期已开始少量增持股票。瑞银集团也指出，尽管CTAs的股票敞口相较过去五年仍处于低位，但已有所回升。

市场的目光也聚焦在关键技术点位。摩根大通的Bram Kaplan分析称，当标普500指数达到5800点（较上周五收盘价5660点约有2.5%的上涨空间）时，CTAs将转变为短期买家。

机构的尴尬与两难，短期或仍将持续

尽管面临回补压力，机构投资者的核心担忧并未消除，其中最主要的是对美联储货币政策路径的不确定性。

华尔街此前一度预期美联储可能在下月降息，但美联储主席鲍威尔及其他决策者均强调，需要等待更清晰的经济数据再做判断。亚特兰大联储主席Raphael Bostic在周五的博客中明确表示：

“经济中的不确定性依然普遍存在……在前景如此不明朗的情况下，我认为调整货币政策并非审慎之举。”

这种不确定性导致市场对本轮反弹的持续性看法严重分歧。财富管理公司Homrich Berg的首席投资官Stephanie Lang警告称：“你不能总是追逐这类反弹。”她更倾向于关注那些盈利前景有所改善的防御性公司，如医疗保健和公用事业板块。

更有悲观者认为反弹已是强弩之末。22V Research的创始人Dennis Debusschere就将此轮上涨视为“正在消退的反弹”，并指出由于关税问题依然是重大风险，且股市内部结构仍然疲弱，其公司正在风险较高的小盘股领域增加空头头寸。

从技术上看，标普500指数目前仍较2月19日的历史高点低7.9%。更重要的是，该指数在3月份已跌破始于2022年10月本轮牛市的关键上升趋势线。要收复这条趋势线，指数需要回升至6000点以上，而Cohalo的Loder认为，这无疑是一个更为艰难的挑战。

“我们只是想努力安然度过这一切，”Mahoney的这句话，或许是当前许多机构投资者在散户狂潮与市场迷雾夹击下的共同写照。“任何事情都可能因一条推文而瞬间改变。”

在这样高度敏感和不确定的市场中，被散户“逼空”的机构，其尴尬与两难的境地，短期内恐怕仍将持续。

 

紧跟川普准没错？他两度高喊买股 标普大涨了…

 川普两次发言建议买股以来，标普500指数累计涨14%。美联社

投资人过去一个月若听取美国总统川普在社群媒体上的投资建议，他们将享有在川普治下，最为亮眼的标普500指数上涨行情。

4月初，川普在“解放日”宣布对等关税措施，拖累美股崩跌，到了4月9日他高喊：“现在是绝佳的买股时机”，不久后他暂缓实施100年来最严苛的关税；他在5月8日又对记者表示，在经济展望好转之际，“现在就去买股”。这两次的发言，激励标普500指数这一个多月来跳涨14%。

根据彭博编制的数据，以21日滚动基准计算，标普500指数这波行情为川普两次总统任期以来的最佳表现。所谓的21日滚动基准，是指他两次发表评论之间的交易日数，且排除新冠疫情期间的反弹数据。

百达资产管理多元资产资深策略师赛伊表示：“很明显，川普护盘又再度发酵。但我们不会过度解读。没错，他现在的作法确实有些奇特，但归根究柢，这是市场将白宫视为潜在的政策护盘力量。”

事隔一个月，川普5月8日第二次呼吁投资人买股，华府与北京12日宣布暂时互降关税，激励那斯达克100期货飙涨4.2%，标普500期货也一度跳涨3.3%。

虽然国家元首在社群媒体上发表投资建议并不寻常，但川普第一任期时便以频繁推文、威胁对主要贸易伙伴加徵关税与制裁著称，其贴文成为全球投资人必读的重要讯号。

COF stock | Earnings | Blue dot | Captial bank stock

 

David Ryan | CANSLIM | Bibilical sharing | Trading: The Battle With Yourself | Market Wizard David Ryan

Here is the link. 

Access the presentations of all 27 experts from the 2022 TraderLion Conference. Learn from top traders, hedge fund managers, trading psychologists, and more - https://traderlion.com/YT_TLC22 In this presentation which was recorded at the TraderLion conference in 2022, David Ryan shares his perspective and motivations for trading and discusses key lessons he has learned over his career. Podcast: https://anchor.fm/traderlion/episodes...

Timestamps 0:00 Introduction 3:00 David's Background 17:52 The Fractal Nature of the Stock Market 22:00 There is nothing new in the market 24:00 Uptrends versus Downtrends 28:00 CANSLIM Past Precedents 37:00 The Key is the right attitude 44:55 QnA

The key is the right attitude

We are not to love money. Timothy 6:10

David Ryan: How to size positions like a three-time U.S. investing champion | Investing with IBD

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Concentration, margin, and all other things 

Mark Minervini: Going Further By Failing Earlier | Investing With IBD

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55,323 views Sep 7, 2023 Investing With IBD Podcast Episodes

This week, amidst Fed rate-fueled concerns, U.S. Investing Champion Mark Minervini joins the "Investing with IBD" podcast to discuss strategies to help mitigate stock market uncertainties – and how to learn fast by failing early. We end with a look at Minervini's top watchlist names, including Uber (UBER), which could be on the cusp of a "breakout year" for earnings, and recent spinoff Vitesse Energy (VTS), which is benefiting from a strengthened oil and gas market.

Mark Minervini On How Discipline Drives Superior Portfolio Results | Investing With IBD

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Break the discipline - Reward, you make error on discipline. 

Turkey get ready for Thanksgiving 

Rules - never look back - turning point 

Do not force trades - pass on hundreds of stocks - Do not consistent - Market will justify - Trading, big giant loss - holding big long period - get you promising land - what to guard against 

It is hard to risk control - confirmation bias 

Benefits - Break rules 

Stop loss - 

Trading guru Mark Minervini says etching rules in stone became a turning point in his investing career that has led to decades of positive portfolio results. He shares some of his mindset secrets with the "Investing With IBD" podcast.

XTZ stock | Analyst update | tipranks update

 

Strategic Initiatives and Demographic Adaptation Drive Buy Rating for Block

TipRanks Auto-Generated Intelligence NewsdeskMay 06, 2025, 05:26 AM

In a report released today, James Faucette from Morgan Stanley maintained a Buy rating on Block (XYZ – Research Report), with a price target of $65.00.

James Faucette has given his Buy rating due to a combination of factors influencing Block’s potential for growth. Despite the challenges faced by Cash App in the first quarter, which were attributed to unfavorable demographic trends and limited credit offerings, there is optimism about the company’s strategic response. Faucette notes that Block is taking steps to address these issues, particularly by focusing on retaining young Gen Z users who are entering the workforce and beginning their financial journeys.
Moreover, the current demographic shift, with a decline in the target age group of 23-24-year-olds, presents a temporary challenge, but Block’s efforts to expand its credit product offerings could mitigate this. By enhancing its financial products, Block aims to retain high-income users and prevent them from migrating to traditional banks. This strategic approach, coupled with the company’s overall market position, underpins Faucette’s positive outlook and Buy rating for Block’s stock.

In another report released on May 2, Needham also maintained a Buy rating on the stock with a $60.00 price target.

2022 | Risk management | Mark Minervini: How Discipline And Sacrifice Made Him A U.S. Investing Champion Investor's Business Daily 147K subscribers

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Respect risk. 

Earnings, breakout, how to apply risk control properly? 

Risk to return 1:2, or 1:3 - betting average, ratio

Sideway market - in and out - whipsaw market - hard to survive 

Profitable - 20% if not, then do not go up to 50%

Last 5 trades - check last 5 trades 

Math involved 

Mark Minervini's Tactical Strategies For Adding Exposure At A Critical Juncture | Investing With IBD

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20,698 views Streamed live on May 7, 2025 Investing With IBD Podcast Episodes

It’s time to transition away from cash and dip your toes back in the water — but with the market still potentially in for a bumpy ride, Mark Minervini of Minervini Private Access discusses the tactical decisions he’s making with his portfolio. Learn why patience is a virtue and how to read the signs that indicate when to get more aggressively involved at the right time. The Investing with IBD Podcast is hosted by Justin Nielsen and livestreams on YouTube every Wednesday.

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Tech

Affirm shares drop 13% on weak forecast, concerns over CEO’s bet on 0% loans

Published Fri, May 9 20253:08 PM EDTUpdated 3 Hours Ago

MacKenzie Sigalos@KENZIESIGALOS

 

Key Points

• Affirm’s disappointing forecast sparked a selloff in the company’s stock price on Friday.
• CEO Max Levchin said the company’s strategy of going big in 0% loans is about “taking share from credit cards.”
• Affirm said it hasn’t seen signs of weakened consumer spending, but concerns about higher tariffs are weighing on the stock.

• Affirm shares plunged on Friday after the fintech company issued a weak forecast, and investors questioned CEO Max Levchin’s plan to go big in 0% loans.

  The buy now, pay later lender said revenue this quarter will be between $815 million and $845 million. The midpoint of the range was short of the $841 million average analyst estimate, according to LSEG.

  Levchin, who founded the company in 2012, is trying to bolster growth with 0% loans, a strategy he says gets consumers in the door and potentially turns them into long-time customers. Levchin told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” that it’s a way to build customer loyalty, even if it means sacrificing margins today.

  “We are helping people understand that not paying interest, revolving interest, excessively is a good thing,” he said. “We’re taking share from credit cards.”

  Those loans now make up 13% of Affirm’s total Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV), with 80% coming from prime and super-prime customers. Affirm’s core business involves issuing point-of-sale installment loans to consumers buying items like apparel, electronics and sporting goods.

• While GMV topped analysts’ estimates, Affirm’s revenue less transaction costs (RLTC) missed the Street’s expectations, in part due to the surge in 0% APR loans. For the quarter, the company beat on earnings and delivered revenue that was inline with estimates.

  Analysts at Citizens maintained their market outperform rating on the stock, but noted in a report that the increase in 0% loans “led to a lower take rate and RLTC margin than most forecasts.” And analysts at BTIG, who have a buy rating on the stock, wrote that “Affirm shares are down precisely because the RLTC/take-rate weakness wasn’t offset by more rapid GMV growth.”

  Levchin said that despite economic uncertainty, consumers are continuing to spend and that Affirm’s credit performance remains “solid” and “consistent.”

  “People are stressed out about the economy, yet they’re shopping, they’re buying, and they’re paying their bills — at least they’re paying their bills back to us on time,” he said.

  With Friday’s slide, Affirm shares are down about 22% for the year, while the Nasdaq is off about 7%.

  Some analysts remain bullish. Susquehanna, Bank of America, and TD Cowen all upgraded the stock or raised price targets due to what they see as growth potential.

• Goldman Sachs maintained a buy rating on Affirm, calling it a “strong category leader in BNPL and a share gainer vs. legacy credit providers.”

  Barclays, which has the equivalent of a buy rating, called the quarter a “solid print” despite high investor expectations. The firm cautioned that the stock could see short-term underperformance, but is bullish on new partnerships, like a recent agreement with Costco.

  Levchin emphasized the importance of playing the long game.

  “It took consumers and merchants and sort of the universe about a decade to figure out what we are and just how different and important what we have found to work really is,” he told CNBC.

• 
  

 

Lyft Stock Pops 19% as Buyback, Ride Metrics Impress Wall Street

Heavy options volumes and price-target hikes are fueling LYFT's rally

Jake Scott

Deputy Editor

May 9, 2025 at 10:36 AM

Lyft Inc (NASDAQ:LYFT) stock is up 19.5% to trade at $15.54 at last glance, after the ride-sharing company increased its share buyback program to $750 million. While first-quarter revenue missed estimates, rides jumped 16% year-over-year to 218.4 million, topping forecasts of 215.1 million. Gross bookings rose 13% to $4.16 billion, narrowly beating expectations, while active riders climbed 11% to 24.2 million. CEO David Risher noted this marked Lyft’s 16th consecutive quarter of double-digit gross booking growth.

Lyft stock is now trading back above its year-to-date breakeven level, up 19.5% in 2025. The security is pacing for its best single-session gain since November, as well as its fifth-straight weekly win. Gapping to its highest level since early February, LYFT has also reclaimed support from its 320-day moving average.

At least four analysts raised their price targets following the report, with Barclays issuing the highest so far at $20 from $19. There’s still room for more upward revisions, as 31 of the 39 brokerages covering the stock maintain a “hold” or worse rating.

Options activity is also surging in response to the news. So far today, 89,000 calls and 36,000 puts have changed hands -- 15 times the average intraday volume. The weekly 5/9 15-strike call is the most popular contract, followed by the 15.50-strike call in the same series, with new positions being opened at the latter.

This denotes a shift in sentiment, as short-term options traders have been more bearish than usual. Lyft stock’s Schaeffer’s put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) of 0.79 ranks in the 93rd percentile of its annual range, suggesting elevated put interest among near-term traders.

Meanwhile, short interest is beginning to unwind. The number of shares sold short dropped 1.9% in the most recent reporting period, with 40.77 million shares still sold short — accounting for 10.3% of LYFT’s total float.