New York, Jan 13, 2026, 15:03 ET — Regular session.
- SoFi shares edged higher in afternoon trading, bucking a softer broad market.
- Investors are parsing the fallout from President Donald Trump’s proposed cap on credit card interest rates.
- Focus now shifts to Washington’s next move and SoFi’s Jan. 30 results.
SoFi Technologies shares rose 1.1% to $26.89 in afternoon trading on Tuesday, while the S&P 500 slipped about 0.4%, as investors weighed whether a new push to cap credit-card rates could redirect borrowers toward online lenders.
The stock has moved with a widening policy fight after Trump called for a one-year cap of 10% on credit card interest rates starting Jan. 20. Bank and payments groups argue a cap would force lenders to pull credit from weaker borrowers; “a one-size-fits-all government price cap may sound appealing, but it wouldn’t help Americans,” Electronic Payments Coalition Executive Chairman Richard Hunt said. (Reuters)
That matters for SoFi because tighter credit cards could push more consumers into personal loans or buy-now, pay-later, known as BNPL, which is a form of installment financing usually paid in fixed chunks. Credit card debt is “revolving credit” — borrowers can carry balances month to month — and rates average about 19.65%, Reuters reported, citing Bankrate; Jefferies analysts warned of “weaker retail sales and consumption across the entire economy, hurting GDP.” (Reuters)
On Tuesday, the debate reached bank earnings calls. JPMorgan Chief Financial Officer Jeremy Barnum told reporters a cap “would be very bad for consumers, very bad for the economy,” and said it would force the bank to cut back the amount of credit it offers; the Federal Reserve put the average credit-card interest rate at 20.97% in November. (Reuters)
Still, several Wall Street firms have flagged the legal and political hurdles. “It would take an Act of Congress for such rate caps to be in place,” UBS Global analysts wrote, and investors have begun pressing executives for scenarios if the plan gains traction. (Reuters)
Some analysts have argued the threat to bank card profits could be an opening for fintech lenders. Mizuho analysts have said a cap could boost lending volumes for firms such as SoFi, Affirm and Upstart if banks tighten credit, though Wells Fargo analysts cited in Barron’s put low odds on the proposal becoming law and warned that the upside fades if the cap is broadened to nonbank lenders. (Barron’s)
The cross-currents showed up in the tape. Upstart rose 4.1% while Visa and Mastercard slid 3.8% and 3.5%, respectively, as investors continued to lean away from card-related names exposed to the rate-cap talk.
SoFi is a consumer-facing lender and digital finance platform. Its lending business is sensitive to both credit demand and credit quality, and traders have been quick to reprice the stock when the policy backdrop shifts.
The risk, for bulls, is that a messy policy fight ends in a broader squeeze on consumer credit, not a clean handoff to personal-loan providers. If credit tightens sharply, loan growth can rise even as delinquencies follow.
Investors are also watching whether the White House or lawmakers put forward a bill — or any details at all — and whether the January 20 start date becomes more than a marker on a political calendar.
SoFi is due to report fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results on Friday, Jan. 30, with a release planned around 7 a.m. ET and a conference call at 8 a.m. ET, according to the company. (SoFi Investors)
Between now and then, traders will be listening for more from banks and regulators on where the credit-card cap lands — and whether it stays aimed at cards, or spreads across consumer lending.
