Why Wall Street’s December Upgrades Reframe Chime as a Profitable, High-Margin Neobank Story

Chime Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHYM) is one of the best FinTech stocks to buy in 2026.

Wall Street’s tone on the stock turned notably constructive in December. On December 11, 2025, B. Riley initiated coverage with a Buy rating and a $35 price target, framing Chime as a profitable, high-growth neobank with disciplined customer acquisition costs and strong margins. B. Riley pointed to Q3 2025 gross margin of 87% and transaction margin of 69%, arguing that Chime’s model can sustain growth with very low marginal costs and expand margins as scale builds. The firm also said Street numbers for 2026 looked too conservative given management commentary about mid-50% or higher incremental EBITDA margins, and it anchored the $35 target on a 24x multiple applied to its 2027 EPS estimate.

Why Wall Street’s December Upgrades Reframe Chime as a Profitable, High-Margin Neobank Story

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That optimism came on top of a major December call from Goldman. On December 1, 2025, Goldman Sachs upgraded Chime from Neutral to Buy and set a $27 price target, saying investors were underappreciating the take-rate tailwinds from the new Chime Card announced in September. Goldman projected Chime’s 2027 take rate could reach 1.23% versus a 1.14% consensus estimate, and modeled GAAP net income of $77 million in 2026 and $307 million in 2027, well ahead of consensus, as profitability arrives faster than expected.

Chime Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHYM) is a U.S.-based consumer fintech company that provides a mobile-focused financial platform, offering products such as spending accounts and debit cards through partner banks.

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