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Investing.com - Needham initiated coverage of Klarna (NYSE:KLAR) with a Hold rating on Tuesday, highlighting the company’s leadership in the buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) sector while expressing concerns about its valuation and potential expense pressures. The company, currently valued at $17.2 billion, has shown strong revenue growth of nearly 20% over the last twelve months.
The research firm acknowledged Klarna’s strong position in the BNPL market, noting its $114 billion in gross merchandise value and extensive network of retail partnerships with leading consumer brands. With annual revenue exceeding $3 billion and a robust gross profit margin of 72%, Needham also viewed Klarna’s full banking license as providing a competitive advantage in funding compared to rivals.
Despite these strengths, Needham expressed concern that Klarna could face increasing expense pressures as the company appears to be reversing course on earlier initiatives to freeze or reduce headcount and replace customer service agents with artificial intelligence.
The firm also raised questions about Klarna’s recent competitive takeaway of Walmart from Affirm, suggesting this move could potentially be "an economic net negative" for the company.
Needham concluded that these factors, combined with Klarna’s current valuation of approximately 56 times FY27 price-to-earnings ratio, prevented it from recommending the shares at this time.
In other recent news, Klarna Group plc completed its initial public offering, raising $200 million through the sale of 5 million shares at $40 per share. This marks Klarna’s debut on the New York Stock Exchange, with additional shares sold by existing shareholders. The IPO price was set at $40, which is higher than the midpoint of the previously estimated range. In a significant development, Klarna has expanded its partnership with Apple Pay, offering flexible payment options for in-store purchases in the U.S. and UK. Eligible Apple Pay users can now access Klarna’s interest-free installment plans when shopping in physical stores. Additionally, Compass Point has initiated coverage on Klarna with a Buy rating and a price target of $53, citing a favorable risk-reward profile. These recent developments highlight Klarna’s strategic moves in the financial market and its growing collaboration with major partners.
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