SoFi Technologies (NASDAQ:SOFI) is a banking sector disruptor that’s garnered a lot of attention on Wall Street. Opinions vary, but one notable theme among analysts is that SOFI stock looks overvalued. I tend to agree, and while I like SoFi Technologies as a company, I recommend that prospective investors wait for the share price to come down.
Once an under-the-radar fintech startup, SoFi Technologies now has plenty of fans and accolades. For example, SoFi Technologies was recently included in CNBC’s list of the World’s Top Fintech Companies 2023.
Not every expert on Wall Street is enthusiastic about SoFi Technologies’ future prospects, though. Overall, there’s currently a fairly balanced mix of buy, hold and sell ratings on SOFI stock. So, let’s drill down to the details and see what some prominent analysts have to say about SoFi Technologies.
SoFi Could Benefit From Student Loan Refinancing
Not long ago, Mizuho analysts reiterated their “buy” rating on SoFi Technologies shares and raised their price target on the stock from $9 to $15. The analysts estimate that SoFi Technologies has a total addressable market (TAM) opportunity worth $350 billion to $400 billion in the student loan refinancing market.
“We do not believe this opportunity is fully reflected in current consensus estimates,” the Mizuho analysts opined. I tend to agree, to a certain extent. SoFi Technologies generates some revenue from helping federal student loan borrowers refinance those loans. And, required payments on federal student loans might resume as soon as October of this year.
JPMorgan analysts are skeptical of this bullish argument, however. They feel that “refinancing with a private lender like SoFi makes economic sense for just a fraction of borrowers.” These borrowers would include ones “with relatively high income, credit scores, and [annual percentage rates],” the JPMorgan analysts specified.
Is SOFI Stock Overpriced?
Starting in mid-May, the SoFi Technologies share price doubled in less than three months’ time. This appears to have prompted concerns over the company’s valuation.
For instance, analysts with Keefe Bruyette downgraded SOFI stock from “market perform” to “underperform.” The analysts Keefe Bruyette claim that the share-price rally “has overshot the fundamental earnings outlook” for SoFi Technologies.
Meanwhile, Bank of America analyst Mihir Bhatia reduced his rating on SoFi Technologies shares from “buy” to “neutral.” Bhatia acknowledges that the aforementioned student loan “payment moratorium expiry is a positive.” Yet, the analyst now sees “the positive fundamental aspects of the story as largely priced in.”
Now, the case for caution is starting to make sense. Piper Sandler analyst Kevin J. Barker lowered his rating on SOFI stock from “overweight” to “neutral,” citing elevated interest rates as a potential headwind for SoFi Technologies. Again, the recurring theme is that SoFi Technologies may be overvalued, given the challenges that the company will have to face in the coming quarters.
Let SOFI Stock Pull Back Before Getting In
Looking ahead, it’s difficult to predict how well SoFi Technologies will be able to navigate the fintech landscape. From high interest rates to student loan repayments, it seems like there are more unknowns than certainties.
Therefore, I’m sticking to my strategy of waiting for SOFI stock to pull back 40% before considering a long position. In the meantime, feel free to keep tabs on SoFi Technologies as the company always has something interesting in the works.
On the date of publication, David Moadel did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.
