Affirm Holdings (NASDAQ:AFRM) is feeling the heat. Shares dropped more than 9% in Monday's premarket trading after Klarna (KLAR) filed for a U.S. IPO, giving investors another buy now, pay later (BNPL) stock to consider. At the same time, Block (NYSE:XYZ) expanded its Afterpay pay-over-time financing into its hugely popular Cash App, ramping up competition in the space.
Klarna's public debut could shake things up, offering a fresh alternative in the BNPL sector. Meanwhile, Block's move to further integrate Afterpay, which it acquired in 2022, shows it's doubling down on installment payments.
Affirm's stock has already had a rough ride, plunging 38% over the past month, while Block is also down 32%. With Klarna stepping into the U.S. market and Afterpay growing its reach, the BNPL battle is only getting tougher.
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