Stocktwits Fintech Pulse: US Fintech Weekly Briefing & Market Drivers

• Fiserv released point-of-sale data signaling a 2.2% year-over-year rise in small business retail spending. 
• SoFi Technologies and Affirm Holdings (AFRM) continue to navigate interest rate headwinds.
• Robinhood Markets (HOOD) and Coinbase (COIN) digested shifting trading volumes as regulatory agencies updated oversight frameworks.

Shifts in fintech regulations and elevated benchmark interest rates reshaped the domestic online payments and neobanking landscape this week, as federal watchdogs adjusted rules governing digital wallet custody.

Yield-bearing deposit products remained a focal point for digital banks this week after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates by a quarter point. Elevated interest rates continue to bolster net interest margins for deposit-heavy platforms while tempering consumer borrowing appetite across neobanks and digital lenders.

Infrastructure Shifts Across Mastercard, PayPal, And Fiserv

Mastercard Incorporated (MA): Shares held steady as the payment network announced a global reseller agreement with Rezolve AI earlier this week to integrate conversational commerce tools into its global merchant channels. The company also confirmed its third-quarter earnings call date for Oct. 29.

PayPal Holdings Inc. (PYPL): PayPal stock saw buying support, surging 3.0% early in the week to $54.41 as technical indicators signaled stabilizing sentiment ahead of its scheduled Q3 earnings report.

Fiserv Inc. (FI): Fiserv released its September Small Business Index on Oct. 5, reporting a 2.2% year-over-year increase in small business sales driven by back-to-school consumer retail transactions.

How Neobanks SoFi And Affirm Performed 

SoFi stock dipped about 0.3% on Thursday and was set to end the week marginally lower, while peer AFRM share price was on track to end the week 2.4% higher. Digital-first banking and installment lending platforms continued to thrive amid sustained interest rate pressure.
However, TD Cowen analyst Moshe Orenbuch lowered the price target on SoFi Technologies to $17.50 from $18 and maintained a ‘Hold’ rating on the shares, implying an upside of about 11% from its last close.

According to The Fly, the firm said that it had adjusted targets in the consumer finance group as part of a third-quarter earnings preview.

The analyst also revised Affirm's price target to $110 from $124 and kept a ‘Buy’ rating on the shares, implying nearly 47% upside from its last close.

Analysts Bullish On Robinhood And Coinbase Ahead Of Earnings

BofA raised Robinhood's price target to $156 from $140 and kept a Buy rating on the shares. The firm is adjusting its estimates and price targets for brokers and wealth managers ahead of Q3 earnings from the group.

Barclays raised its price target on Robinhood to $132 from $105 and kept an Overweight rating on the shares, as per TheFly. Barclays told investors that Robinhood’s trading backdrop looks more mixed going into Q4, while the rate curve looks more supportive for 2027 net interest income.

Over to Coinbase, Goldman Sachs raised the firm's price target to $244 from $219 and kept a Buy rating on the shares. In a research note, the analyst tells investors that Coinbase offers upside optionality from strong expense discipline, potential regulatory tailwinds from the proposed SEC digital asset innovation exemption, and an attractive valuation entry point.

Federal Rules And Legal Updates

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) formally withdrew previously proposed recordkeeping requirements for non-custodial crypto transactions, easing operational compliance burdens for digital wallet operators.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) published updated guidance that established leverage and risk disclosures for retail digital asset derivative products.

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