JP Morgananalyst Reginald L. Smith noted that 2024 was a tale of two halves for fintech stocks. After a lagging start to the year, the aggregate market cap of the analyst's fintech coverage universe has increased more than $65 billion since mid-September, fueled by cheerful calendar third-quarter 2024 results and management commentary, two rate cuts, and the U.S. Presidential Election.

In fiscal 2025, lower benchmark rates and an improved third-party funding environment should spur increased loan origination volume and healthier gain-on-sale (GOS) margins for fintech lenders.

However, Smith remains cautious about fintech lenders at current levels...