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The Institutional Risk Analyst
© 2003-2025 | Whalen Global Advisors LLC All Rights Reserved in All Media | ISSN 2692-1812
Banks | Markets | Finance


Post-Trumpian Fintech Bounce: How High? How Long?
At one point last year, HOOD was up several hundred percent, but has given back much of those gains. Yet the leaders of our finance group have outperformed the broad market.

R. Christopher Whalen
May 126 min read
215 views


Bank Stocks Down | WGA Bank Top 100 Index: Q2 2025
TD was up about 6% over the past three months, the only name in our test group with a positive three-month market return, of note.

R. Christopher Whalen
May 46 min read
307 views


Logan Riffs on SOMA; XYZ and SYF Say No Recession Yet
Like 2023 and 2024, the year 2025 may end up being relatively stable, yet investors remain worried about stealth externalities.

R. Christopher Whalen
Feb 258 min read
242 views


HOOD: Is the Bloom off the Rose?
And just why do financial firms like HOOD, SoFi Technologies (SOFI)Â and Block (XYZ)Â talk about EBITDA in their investor materials?

R. Christopher Whalen
Feb 134 min read
262 views


WGA Bank Top 100 Index | Q1 2025
GS had not appeared in the top 25 since we began the indices a year ago, while MS had made it three times.

R. Christopher Whalen
Jan 294 min read
191 views


SoFi Technology Gets No Respect
Like many names in the fintech space, growing profits and earnings are usually an indication that a stock is exiting max upside period

R. Christopher Whalen
Jan 274 min read
239 views


Taxing Crypto? And Just Where Is That Consumer Recession?
Yes, net loss rates in percentage terms post default are back up to 2010 levels, but the dollar volume of net charge-offs remains very low.

R. Christopher Whalen
Jan 58 min read
415 views


The Trump Trade & Sovereign Ratings
What happens to the Trump Trade and the broader equity markets if the FOMC passes on a December rate cut?

R. Christopher Whalen
Dec 4, 20246 min read
603 views


Is Trump Bullish for Interest Rates? Pump & Dump for GSE and Fintech Stocks
You can tell lies and damn lies about the idea of releasing Fannie and Freddie, but the SEC and FINRA cannot and will not say a word.Â

R. Christopher Whalen
Oct 30, 20246 min read
812 views


Recession? Consumer Lenders: AX, AXP, ALLY, Barclays, COF, SOFI, SYF
Axos continues to rebound after the bear raid by Hindenburg Research. AX ranked 18th in the WGA Bank Top Index in Q3 2024 vs 98th for SOFI

R. Christopher Whalen
Sep 2, 202412 min read
726 views


Earnings Setup: Consumer Lenders | ALLY AXP AX BCS COF SOFI SYF
The first comment to make is that consumer defaults are rising across the board. The only question we need to consider is the rate of change

R. Christopher Whalen
Jul 11, 20245 min read
542 views


Then Old Media Became Redunzl
When will Disney decide to sell some or all of its streaming operations to keep the lights on at its theme parks?

R. Christopher Whalen
May 1, 20245 min read
538 views


Good, Bad & Ugly: AXP, SOFI & BAC
AXP is a premium stock that is best acquired when people think, incorrectly, that the world is ending.

R. Christopher Whalen
Jan 30, 20246 min read
878 views


Rates Rally Financials, But Credit Fears Remain
The key term for risk managers and investors in 2024 remains unchanged from this year: Volatility.

R. Christopher Whalen
Dec 15, 20237 min read
483 views


Interest Rates, Fintech & MSRs
Regulatory skepticism about mortgage assets could effect financing rates for lenders, which means higher mortgage rates for consumers.

R. Christopher Whalen
Oct 26, 20239 min read
529 views


Markets Affirm the Unbearable Lightness of Fintech
When you are in a big crowd, nothing else matters.

R. Christopher Whalen
Sep 7, 20235 min read
627 views


Fitch Downgrades US to AA+; Fintech Stocks Soar on Powell Inflation
S&P was the first to call out the growing lack of fiscal discipline in Washington, downgrading Uncle Sam in 2011

R. Christopher Whalen
Aug 2, 20235 min read
705 views


Update: Banks & Fintechs
With inflation fears moderating, look for Buy Side managers to buy bank stocks – even if earnings remain constrained...

R. Christopher Whalen
Jun 14, 20235 min read
784 views


Crypto Crash Signal End of Fintech?
Despite all the hyperbole, the great crypto fraud was a small game, like the party poker that many crypto enthusiasts share in common

R. Christopher Whalen
Nov 25, 20229 min read
361 views


Large Banks: QT Winners & Losers
A number of readers have asked us to talk about the winners and losers among large banks in the current interest rate environment.

R. Christopher Whalen
Oct 2, 202210 min read
808 views
Christopher Whalen
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