The Wisr share price has soared 230% since March

Let's take a look at the drivers behind the recent rally in the Wisr share price and whether the ASX neo-bank has more growth ahead of it.

| More on:
owl appearing to be smiling representing soaring wisr share price

Image source: Getty Images

You’re reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Motley Fool’s Premium Investing Services. Become a Motley Fool member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources, and more. Learn More

The share price of fintech neo-lender Wisr Ltd (ASX: WZR) has performed strongly over recent months, driven by the company's robust fourth quarter FY20 results. Since falling to a low of 6.6 cents in March, the Wisr share price has rallied 233% to 22 cents at the time of writing.  

Wisr offers an alternative to the traditional forms of personal lending provided by the major banks. It claims to offer more competitive interest rates by tailoring loans to meet customer needs and eliminating early repayment penalties and annual fees.

The company has also released an app that allows users to round up their purchases and automatically pay the funds collected towards their debts – even if those debts are held with outside lenders. There are a number of ASX-listed companies with similar apps: small-cap Raiz Invest Ltd (ASX: RZI) employs a similar 'round up' technique, but allows users to invest their spare change into a diversified share portfolio.

Wisr hopes this more holistic approach towards personal financing will help the company differentiate itself from the major banks in the wake of the Banking Royal Commission. Wisr seeks to market itself as a more ethical, compassionate alternative to the profit-driven major lenders.

It joins a host of other next generation and alternative credit providers, including buy now, pay later (BNPL) companies like Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) and Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P), which are stealing market share away from traditional lenders.

And from the company's most recent quarterly results, it seems like its message is beginning to resonate with customers. The company reported record monthly loan originations of $19.1 million in June, which brought total loan originations for the fourth quarter to $42.2 million, a 92% increase over fourth quarter 2019. Unaudited operating revenue for the quarter jumped to $2.9 million, a 50% increase quarter-on-quarter.

Is the Wisr share price a buy?

Neo-banks like Wisr are capitalising on a number of converging macroeconomic trends.

Australian consumers were already wary of the major lenders following some of the more damning findings to come out of the Royal Commission. Additionally, the success of BNPL platforms shows that consumers have an appetite for small, tailored credit. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic means that more people may have to rely on short-term credit to meet their everyday living expenses.

I believe Wisr has some strong momentum behind it, making it an exciting investment opportunity with the potential for rapid growth. Market penetration is still low, and the company is well capitalised, with $40 million of cash and equivalents.

However, the positives must also be weighed against the potential risks stemming from a looming economic downturn. Wisr has reported that its loan origination run rate is now 45% over pre-COVID levels. And while its portfolio average credit score is well above the industry average and 90+ day arrears still quite low at 1.44%, it will be worth monitoring how these metrics track once COVID-19 government support packages start to dry up.

Rhys Brock owns shares of AFTERPAY T FPO and ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia's parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of AFTERPAY T FPO. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

More on Technology Shares

Excited group of friends sitting on sofa watching sports on TV and celebrating.
Technology Shares

Why today is a big day for Pro Medicus shares

Records are being broken by this share on Monday. What's going on?

Read more »

A woman presenting company news to investors looks back at the camera and smiles.
Technology Shares

Guess which ASX tech stock is jumping 13% amid 'financial transformation journey'

What is getting investors excited? Let's find out.

Read more »

An unhappy man in a suit sits at his desk with his arms crossed staring at his laptop screen as the PointsBet share price falls
Technology Shares

Should you buy WiseTech shares after the selloff?

Let's see what analysts are saying about this beaten down tech stock.

Read more »

Man drawing an upward line on a bar graph symbolising a rising share price.
Technology Shares

Guess which ASX 200 tech stock could rise almost 40%

Goldman Sachs thinks that big returns could be coming for buyers of this stock.

Read more »

Man with rocket wings which have flames coming out of them.
Technology Shares

Guess which ASX All Ords share is rocketing 16% on an asset sale

This share is catching the eye with a very big gain on Friday. But why is it rising?

Read more »

a man clasps his hand to his forehead as he looks down at his phone and grimaces with a pained expression on his face as he watches the Pilbara Minerals share price continue to fall
Technology Shares

Why are Megaport shares sinking 14% on Friday?

Why are investors hitting the sell button? Let's find out.

Read more »

A white and black robot in the form of a human being stands in front of a green graphic holding a laptop and discussing robotics and automation ASX shares
Technology Shares

Why today is a big day for this ASX 200 AI stock

This company stands to benefit from 'one of the most profound transformations in the history of technology'.

Read more »

A man holds his head in his hands, despairing at the bad result he's reading on his computer.
Technology Shares

Why are WiseTech Global shares crashing almost 20% today?

Recent controversy has led to delays to an important launch and hit its revenues.

Read more »