Industry News
OnDeck Q2 Earnings Announcement
July 6, 2015Update: The news reports that said OnDeck was reporting earnings today on July 6th were false
An OnDeck representative said they have not yet scheduled a date.
OnDeck (ONDK) was reportedly going to release 2015’s Q2 earnings after the market closed on Monday, July 6th (That information was confirmed as false.) Analysts predict the company will show a loss of 7 cents a share.
The company has faced a fierce sell-off in recent weeks, moving the stock to all time lows and down more than 50% from its high. The trend began after the Q1 report in which company executives argued that a decrease in the interest rates charged to their customers was not a response to competitive pressure.
Bloomberg’s Zeke Faux ran the following headline anyway:
![ondeck zeke faux](https://debanked.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/ondeckzekefaux.png)
Since then, the stock has struggled to recover. I posted a summary of why that might be on June 29th, in a short piece tiled, What Happened to OnDeck.
Barron’s was particularly tough on them, labeling them a subprime lender in dot-com clothing. For now, the key to an OnDeck rebounds seems to be about shedding that toxic label and convincing investors that despite a crowded field, they are the clear standout choice.
An increase in the default rate this quarter however would probably evoke a further negative response.
Letter From the Editor – July/August 2015
July 1, 2015G’day mates,
Merchant cash advance and similar financial solutions have expanded beyond the United States. Canada was always the next logical option but it’s made its way far beyond that, all the way to Australia. And in the land down under, Australian natives are competing with American-based companies for market share. There’s not a lot of information available about the landscape there so we went out and got the inside scoop, fair dinkum!
Speaking of international, the race is on here at home to obtain a national or state bank charter. Loans allow for much more customization than is possible with merchant cash advances, noted Glenn Goldman, CEO of Credibly. But is the industry setting itself up for a stable future or are some companies betraying their roots as a bank alternative by in essence becoming banks themselves?
And even while the crowd cheers for charters, a baffling appellate court ruling in New York State threatens to undermine that strategy completely. If you haven’t heard of Madden v. Midland Funding, we’ve got some information about it inside.
I must note that deBanked celebrated its 5-year anniversary this past July. The world was much simpler when I started it. In 2010, I was able to quantify the industry’s size with ease, but today it’s a challenge to define what the industry even is, let alone calculate how big it is.
Everything is evolving and quickly, but some things still say the same, like when a broker’s commission is pulled back because a deal defaulted. Shouldn’t lenders take full responsibility for their own underwriting decisions? Not all brokers thought so apparently when we asked them. It appears that today’s broker is thinking more like a lender and if long-term growth is one of their goals, they’re probably thinking about becoming a lender themselves. That of course brings us right back to bank charters and court rulings to make that possible.
And if those topics are exhausting to think about, then sit back, relax and let us guide you through the beautiful Australian Outback. From Uluru to a kangaroo, alternative lending is never out of reach.
–Sean Murray
Letter From the Editor – May/June 2015
May 1, 2015Alternative lending is full of bubbles. I’m referring to the inefficient exchange of information, not runaway valuations, though that’s something to explore in a future issue.
New financial products can be just as intimidating to the professionals working within the wider industry as they are to the customers they’re being offered to. I’ve blogged often of my experience investing in Lending Club and Prosper notes, something I assumed everyone in the business finance world could relate to. Alas, I find that usually raises more questions with readers than it does answers.
Are you just nodding your head and smiling when your peers talk about their alternative lending portfolios? There’s no better way to understand today’s loan marketplaces than being an investor in them, even if it’s just a small amount. Whether it’s merchant cash advances, real estate loans, student loans, or credit card debt, there are plenty of opportunities and worlds to explore. You should conduct research, diversify, and be smart of course. You don’t want to be trapped in a bubble.
Outside the knowledge bubbles, we have regional enclaves. There are entire city neighborhoods being overrun by small business financing startups. In New York City, it had long been Midtown, but some shops started moving south and before anyone realized what was happening, Wall Street had been overrun by a new breed of broker. The culture in lower Manhattan is different than you might find in Midtown or in the next two largest industry hubs, Miami and San Francisco.
In this issue, we’ll begin to explore the industry’s bubbles, both geographically and structurally.
–Sean Murray
Rapid Capital Funding Acquires American Finance Solutions
October 8, 2014Miami, Florida-based Rapid Capital Funding will acquire Anaheim, California-based American Finance Solutions today in perhaps one of the most significant deals in merchant cash advance history.
Rapid Capital Funding, not to be confused with RapidAdvance, is led by the company’s founder Craig Hecker. Hecker and AFS’s CEO Scott Griest broke the news to me on a call together. “It’s a roll-up,” Griest said. AFS will continue to operate under their brand name for the time being and Griest will remain a leader in the company.
Meanwhile, the operations of the two companies will begin to merge, with Hecker confirming already that their head underwriter, Andrew Hernandez, was in California getting up to speed on AFS’s operations.
The news comes less than five months after American Finance Solutions struck an equity deal with CapFin partners. I am unsure if CapFin is still involved in the company.
Griest and Hecker were both excited about working together. “Griest has done a great job managing the sales partner channel,” Hecker said. Griest will continue to develop those relationships for the company.
This is the first major merger in the industry. Historically, just about all of the equity deals in merchant cash advance have been acquisitions by institutional investment groups. This is a consolidation.
RCF, while based in Miami, has an office in New York City. The AFS deal puts them on the ground in the 3rd major industry hub.
The two executives hinted that this deal was just the beginning.