Shares of SoFi Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: SOFI) climbed nearly 1% overnight despite the Federal Reserve raising benchmark interest rates by 25 basis points on Wednesday.
The Federal Reserve hiked key interest rates to a target range of 3.75% to 4.00% amid rising inflationary concerns, a move that largely aligned with market expectations.
Markets are now predicting another rate hike later in the year, adding further uncertainty to the outlook for financial and lending companies.
Rate hikes typically make borrowing more expensive for customers, directly affecting lending rates across financial services firms including SOFI.
However, analysts note the move could benefit SOFI’s banking arm by widening the spread between loan rates and deposit costs, while also boosting deposit growth.
The rate environment may also help the company attract cash-rich members seeking competitive returns on checking and savings accounts.
Retail sentiment on Stocktwits improved from “extremely bearish” to “bearish” over a 24-hour period, as some investors argued the rate hike had already been priced into the stock.
One Stocktwits user said, “$SOFI SoFi predicting rate hikes alone should send this upwards. They priced in 2 and WERE GETTING 2.”
Another user commented, “$SOFI Maybe rate hike baked in from 19’s to 16’s. Only down a touch today,” as shares closed down approximately 0.47% on Wednesday.
A third user expressed optimism about re-entering the stock, saying, “$SOFI Buying opp in coming sessions. Been waiting a spell to Re-enter this GEM.”
One investor argued that SOFI should not be compared to traditional banks, saying “It should be valued like a high-growth fintech or software hybrid, meaning the long-term compounding will eventually leave a $17.40 basis far behind.”
Not all investors shared that optimism, with one user warning, “$SOFI remember rate hikes in 2022-2023 and sofi went 4 dollars? yeah bad news for bulls, it’s going there again.”
Another skeptical user flagged a key technical level, saying, “$SOFI technically it’s entering bearish territory if this closes 16.55 tomorrow then new 52 week lows all depends on tomorrow’s move.”
SOFI stock remains down more than 38% so far in 2026, leaving investors sharply divided on whether the current environment represents a buying opportunity or a continued headwind.
