We came across a bullish thesis on Qfin Holdings, Inc. on Danny’s Substack by Danny Green. In this article, we will summarize the bulls’ thesis on QFIN. Qfin Holdings, Inc.’s share was trading at $15.32 as of February 18th. QFIN’s trailing P/E was 2.19 according to Yahoo Finance.
Charts on the computer
Qifu Technology (QFIN) operates in China’s vast consumer credit market and is steadily transitioning from a balance-sheet lender to a capital-light “Platform Services” enabler. Under this model, it provides AI-driven risk management and customer acquisition tools to banks while earning fee-based revenue and avoiding direct credit risk. The company aims to become the operating system for mid-sized Chinese banks by 2035, positioning itself as essential infrastructure for institutions lacking advanced in-house risk technology.
Its competitive moat stems from a 263-billion data-point repository and proprietary AI credit scoring that has kept delinquency rates (C-M2) near 0.6%, a level traditional banks would struggle to replicate quickly. Management, led by CEO Haisheng Wu, emphasizes a tech-first culture and has integrated Multi-modal Large Language Models into underwriting and collections, reinforcing its identity as a fintech platform rather than a legacy lender.
However, risks remain material. Regulatory APR caps limit pricing power, and the long-term threat of a state-backed sovereign credit system could crowd out private platforms.
Competition from larger ecosystems such as Ant Group and Lufax adds pressure, while geopolitical tensions sustain a persistent “China discount.” Despite this, QFIN trades at roughly 3.7x earnings with double-digit growth, returning capital aggressively through $350M+ buybacks and dividends. If the market rerates it as a scalable SaaS-like fintech partner rather than a P2P lender, the upside could be significant, though regulatory ceilings and macro rate pressures may cap margins over time.
Previously, we covered a bullish thesis on Bread Financial Holdings, Inc. (BFH) by Stock Analysis Compilation in November 2024, which highlighted loan growth, debt reduction, and DTC funding expansion. BFH’s stock price has appreciated by approximately 30.16% since our coverage. Danny Green shares a similar view but emphasizes Qifu Technology’s capital-light shift, AI moat, and SaaS rerating potential amid China regulatory risks.
Qfin Holdings, Inc. is not on our list of the 30 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. As per our database, 28 hedge fund portfolios held QFIN at the end of the third quarter which was 26 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the risk and potential of QFIN as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than QFIN and that has 10,000% upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.
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Disclosure: None.
