Why SoFi Stock Spiked This Week

Source The Motley Fool

Key Points

  • The Trump administration is exploring the idea of selling some of its student loans to private companies.

  • SoFi has a significant student loan refinancing business.

  • Nothing has changed yet, but SoFi investors should pay attention to any potential news.

  • 10 stocks we like better than SoFi Technologies ›

Shares of the fintech company SoFi Technologies (NASDAQ: SOFI) jumped this week after Politico reported that the Trump administration is considering selling some of the $1.6 trillion in federal student loan debt to the private market.

SoFi has a large student loan refinancing business and has said recently that if the federal government backed away from student loans it could potentially be a very good thing for its business. As a result, SoFi stock was up by 14.7% this week, as of 10:33 a.m. ET on Friday.

Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now, when you join Stock Advisor. See the stocks »

A person looking at their phone.

Image source: Getty Images.

SoFi wants access to more student loans

The government hasn't made a decision about whether to sell off some of the student loans it owns or to move away from issuing new loans. But SoFi CEO Anthony Noto said on the company's first-quarter earnings call back in April that if the government did so, SoFi would be more than willing to step in and fill the gap. Noto said, "If the government backs away from providing in-school loans, Grad Plus, et cetera, et cetera, we'll absolutely capture that opportunity."

Noto added that if SoFi eventually were able to finance in-school loans -- and not just refinance loans -- it would be "a double bottom line from the standpoint that it's a revenue stream [on] day one, but it's also a member that becomes part of the ecosystem of SoFi." In short, the company could benefit from issuing the initial loan as well as when the borrower refinances.

Don't bet on this just yet

President Donald Trump explored the idea of offloading some federal student loans during his first term, only to eventually abandon the idea. It's entirely possible that the same could happen this time around.

What's more, there are no clear details about this potential move, so buying SoFi stock assuming that the company will benefit from any potential government decision is more than just a little premature. Instead, investors should keep a close eye on any new details that emerge and wait to see how it could benefit SoFi over the long term.

Should you invest $1,000 in SoFi Technologies right now?

Before you buy stock in SoFi Technologies, consider this:

The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and SoFi Technologies wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.

Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $663,905!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,180,428!*

Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 1,091% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 192% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor.

See the 10 stocks »

*Stock Advisor returns as of October 7, 2025

Chris Neiger has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Disclaimer: For information purposes only. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
placeholder
Canada Unemployment Rate expected to edge higher in September Statistics Canada will release its Labour Force Survey on Friday, and markets are bracing for a mixed print.
Author  FXStreet
7 hours ago
Statistics Canada will release its Labour Force Survey on Friday, and markets are bracing for a mixed print.
placeholder
Gold hits pause on record run; but eyes eighth weekly gainGold prices edged lower on Friday as investors booked profits following the metal's surge past the $4,000-an-ounce mark earlier this week.
Author  Reuters
8 hours ago
Gold prices edged lower on Friday as investors booked profits following the metal's surge past the $4,000-an-ounce mark earlier this week.
placeholder
Yen Faces Largest Weekly Drop in a Year, Raising Prospects of Government InterventionOn Friday, the USD/JPY exchange rate hovered around 153, maintaining its highest level in eight months, with intraday peaks hitting 153.27.
Author  TradingKey
8 hours ago
On Friday, the USD/JPY exchange rate hovered around 153, maintaining its highest level in eight months, with intraday peaks hitting 153.27.
placeholder
USD/CAD Price Forecast: Targets six-month highs near 1.4050 as bullish bias prevailsUSD/CAD continues to gain ground for the fourth successive day, trading around 1.4030 during the early European hours on Friday.
Author  FXStreet
8 hours ago
USD/CAD continues to gain ground for the fourth successive day, trading around 1.4030 during the early European hours on Friday.
placeholder
Pound Sterling slides further against US Dollar despite dovish Fed remarksThe Pound Sterling (GBP) holds onto losses near its two-month low around 1.3280 against the US Dollar (USD) during the European trading session on Friday.
Author  FXStreet
8 hours ago
The Pound Sterling (GBP) holds onto losses near its two-month low around 1.3280 against the US Dollar (USD) during the European trading session on Friday.
goTop
quote