OnDeck Capital's chief operating officer, James Hobson will be leaving OnDeck; according to Reuters, Hobson will be taking a new role as chief executive at online insurance company Attune; Hobson will remain in the role until March 15. Source
In Orchard's December 30 Weekly Snapshot it highlights reports from Even, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and American Banker; in online lending stocks, Square reported the highest monthly return, trading at $13.73 for a gain of 6.11%; in UK listed stocks, the VPC Specialty Lending Fund led monthly returns with a gain of 8.01%; in US listed marketplace lending funds, the River North Marketplace Lending Fund had a one month return of -0.87%. Source
Fifth Third Bank will expand its partnership with Accion US Network which provides access to a network of small businesses; the initiative will focus on increased lending for underserved small businesses in Florida, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Ohio; the effort is also an extension of the bank's five-year, $30 billion Community Commitment and will utilize $10 billion allocated to small business lending, product innovation and enhanced underwriting and fulfillment for this alternative lending channel. Source
2016 could be the alternative finance industry's first net negative year according to AltFi; uncertainty in capital investment was a substantial factor for the first time causing a renewed focus on retail investment; CEO turnover has been a significant factor with Renaud Laplanche's resignation a catalyst for decreased investor confidence; regulators have also caused market uncertainty with new regulations potentially adding compliance burdens for alternative finance businesses; macroeconomic factors including Brexit and the US presidential election have also increased pressure on alternative finance; despite hardships, sentiment for 2017 is mostly positive with 2016 seen as only a temporary retrenchment. Source
Ppdai is reportedly looking to a US IPO and plans to raise $200 million; it would be the second lender to do so after Yirendai in 2015 who raised $75 million; the company was founded in 2007 and offers unsecured loans. Source
SuperMoney reviews the new US consumer lending platform founded by Renaud Laplanche; firm is an online lender focused on personal loans, also offering consumer credit monitoring and education for its customers with benefits for high quality borrowers; SuperMoney outlines the platform's underwriting standards, application process, and pros and cons versus competitors. Source
Orchard's Weekly Online Lending Snapshot for the week of October 27 focuses on new marketplace lending securitizations and the snapshot's new tracking for recent securitization issuances; other key data points from the week include Yirendai leading publicly-traded marketplace lenders with a monthly stock gain of 12.52% and the UK Ranger Direct Lending Fund continuing to lead among UK listed funds with a monthly gain of 6.46%. Source
The Victory Park Capital Specialty Lending Fund reported a net total return of -1.47% for the fourth quarter of 2016 with its marketplace loan investments dragging on total return; while reporting a loss for the fourth quarter, the fund says "…there has been further progress in the reallocation of capital to balance sheet investments"; the fund increased its balance sheet investments to 51% of the fund's net asset value in the fourth quarter, up from 22% at the beginning of the year; firm continues to reallocate its fund and is also buying back shares. Source
The Funding Circle SME Income Fund has doubled its investments with a 142 million British pound ($176 million) fundraising; the fundraising is the result of a new C share offering which will convert to ordinary shares within nine months; the Fund is now valued at over 300 million British pounds ($371 million) and has the capacity to issue approximately 350 million more shares in the next twelve months. Source
Fintek News talked with Ron Suber about the marketplace lending industry and his recent presentations at LendIt, AltFi Australasia and the ACFE Fintech Fraud Summit; as an investor and one of the industry's most active speakers, his insights have helped influence all aspects of marketplace lending both globally and in the US; in his most recent presentations he has discussed current opportunities for the industry, how online lending can be compared to online trading and factors influencing fintech fraud. Source