Best Fintech Stocks to Buy in 2026

Fintech stocks combine fast-growing tech platforms with financial products and have produced compelling opportunities that have outperformed the S&P 500.

Mordor Intelligence projects a 15.3% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) through 2030 for the entire fintech industry, but with some companies gaining market share faster than others, it's worth digging for some winning stocks. These two fintech stocks look suited for long-term investors at current levels.

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Sezzle dazzles with its earnings results as BNPL gains momentum

Sezzle (NASDAQ: SEZL) offers a Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) platform for people who want to break everyday purchases into installment plans. Customers can turn a $100 purchase into four monthly $25 payments, which increases their purchasing power. That type of leverage helps Sezzle set a payment processing fee of 6.1% of every purchase, plus $0.30 per transaction for merchants.

High merchant fees reduce how much people pay when making purchases with Sezzle. While late fees apply, anyone who makes all four payments on time will not accrue any interest. Small service fees apply to some orders, but a monthly subscription plan nixes them as well.

Sezzle saw a 48.4% year-over-year improvement in its subscriber base in the first quarter, which is part of a prolonged uptrend. A growing subscriber base acted as the foundation for Sezzle's 29.2% year-over-year revenue growth. Net income grew faster, resulting in a 37.9% net profit margin.

The fintech company is gaining market share in a red-hot industry while attracting more subscribers and boosting engagement from its core audience. That winning formula has translated into rising sales and sustainable scale.

SoFi's post-earnings drop is overdone

SoFi (NASDAQ: SOFI) didn't have the same reception after announcing its Q1 results as Sezzle did. While Sezzle surged by more than 10% on strong earnings, SoFi dipped by more than 15%. Long-term SoFi investors have watched their stakes drop by more than 40% year to date.

Although the recent stock performance doesn't look like it, SoFi actually delivered solid results. Revenue, members, and product growth all hit new records. SoFi now has 14.7 million members, and its crypto business went from nonexistent in 2025 to producing $239.5 million in Q1. It only represents a little more than 1% of total financial services products, but the ongoing Bitcoin rally can reinvigorate the crypto industry.

Investors were primarily upset that SoFi maintained its guidance rather than raising it. SoFi typically raises its guidance after delivering results, so the lack of a raise stood out.

SoFi CEO Anthony Noto said the company did not raise its guidance because it anticipated two Fed rate cuts when setting guidance. Now, the firm expects zero Fed rate cuts this year, which has led to guidance remaining unchanged.

In the meantime, SoFi's other product segments produced exceptional growth, with SoFi Money up by 34% year over year. That was the smallest growth rate across SoFi's seven product categories. Overall revenue increased by 43% year over year, while net income more than doubled.

SoFi is growing faster than traditional banks while expanding its profit margins. Its lack of physical banks can eventually result in higher margins than the banking giants', since its digital banking model has less overhead. SoFi's Q1 results strengthened its long-term investment thesis, with the current dip presenting a buying opportunity.

Marc Guberti has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin and Sezzle. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.