Wrapping up Q1 earnings, we look at the numbers and key takeaways for the consumer finance stocks, including Sallie Mae (NASDAQ: SLM) and its peers.

Consumer finance companies provide loans and credit products to individuals. Growth drivers include increasing consumer spending, financial inclusion initiatives in developing markets, and digital lending platforms reducing distribution costs. Challenges include credit risk during economic downturns, regulatory scrutiny of lending practices, and intensifying competition from traditional banks and fintech firms offering innovative credit solutions.

The 20 consumer finance stocks we track reported a satisfactory Q1. As a group, revenues were in line with analysts’ consensus estimates while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 0.7% below.

In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady. On average, they are relatively unchanged since the latest earnings results.

Best Q1: Sallie Mae (NASDAQ: SLM)

Originally created as a government-sponsored enterprise before privatizing in 2004, Sallie Mae (NASDAQ: SLM) is a financial services company that provides private education loans, savings products, and educational resources to help students and families pay for college.

Sallie Mae reported revenues of $560 million, down 3.6% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 3.9%. Overall, it was a stunning quarter for the company with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and full-year EPS guidance exceeding analysts’ expectations.

The stock is down 5.7% since reporting and currently trades at $22.08.

Is now the time to buy Sallie Mae? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Sezzle (NASDAQ: SEZL)

Founded in 2016 as an alternative to traditional credit cards for younger shoppers, Sezzle (NASDAQ: SEZL) provides a payment platform that allows consumers to split purchases into four interest-free installments over six weeks at participating retailers.

Sezzle reported revenues of $135.5 million, up 29.2% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 5.3%. The business had a stunning quarter with full-year EPS guidance exceeding analysts’ expectations and a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

Sezzle pulled off the biggest analyst estimates beat among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 27.9% since reporting. It currently trades at $110.

Is now the time to buy Sezzle? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q1: Nelnet (NYSE: NNI)

Starting as a student loan servicer in the 1970s and evolving through the changing landscape of education finance, Nelnet (NYSE: NNI) provides student loan servicing, education technology, payment processing, and banking services while managing a portfolio of education loans.

Nelnet reported revenues of $353.2 million, down 7.1% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 20.4%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ net interest income and revenue estimates.

Nelnet delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates in the group. As expected, the stock is down 6.6% since the results and currently trades at $132.08.

Read our full analysis of Nelnet’s results here.

Nubank (NYSE: NU)

With well over one hundred million customers across Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia through its viral member-get-member referral program, Nubank (NYSE: NU) is a digital banking platform that offers financial services including spending, saving, investing, borrowing, and protection products to millions of customers across Latin America.

Nubank reported revenues of $3.70 billion, up 46.1% year on year. This result beat analysts’ expectations by 3.6%. Zooming out, it was a mixed quarter as it also produced a solid beat of analysts’ revenue estimates but a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

The stock is flat since reporting and currently trades at $12.97.

Read our full, actionable report on Nubank here, it’s free.

FirstCash (NASDAQ: FCFS)

Offering a financial lifeline to the unbanked and credit-constrained since 1988, FirstCash (NASDAQ: FCFS) operates pawn stores across the U.S. and Latin America while also providing retail point-of-sale payment solutions for credit-constrained consumers.

FirstCash reported revenues of $1.05 billion, up 25.7% year on year. This print topped analysts’ expectations by 4.8%. Overall, it was an exceptional quarter as it also logged an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ revenue estimates.

The stock is up 9.3% since reporting and currently trades at $232.04.

Read our full, actionable report on FirstCash here, it’s free.

Market Update

Late in 2025 into early 2026, there was hand wringing around artificial intelligence. For software companies, the fear was that AI would erode pricing power and compress margins as new tools made it easier to replicate what once required expensive enterprise platforms. Crypto investors had their own version of the same anxiety: if AI agents could trade, allocate capital, and manage wallets autonomously, what exactly was the long-term value of today’s crypto infrastructure?

These concerns triggered a noticeable rotation away from these sectors and into safer havens. But markets rarely dwell on one narrative for long. Spring 2026 came, and the focus shifted abruptly from technological disruption to geopolitical risk. The US’ conflict with Iran became the dominant driver of market psychology, and when geopolitics takes center stage, the script changes quickly. Investors stop debating growth rates and start worrying about oil supply, inflation, and global stability.

Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our 9 Best Market-Beating Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.