BNPL players surging as sector once again red-hot

Shares in Zip Co (ASX:Z1P) and two smaller Asian-focused buy now, pay later companies have more than doubled so far this year, while Afterpay (ASX:APT) has pushed into uncharted territory.

Z1P shares gained 16.9 per cent yesterday to finish at an all-time closing high of $12.66, having gained 24.8 per cent last week. Since the start of the year, Zip shares are up 139.3 per cent.

Fatfish Group (ASX:FFG) shares soared 73.6 per cent yesterday to 9.2c, having gained 155.6 per cent year-to-date.

In response to an ASX price query, Fatfish noted that its Singaporean-based investee company, Smartfunding Pte, had developed a BNPL platform it plans to roll out this week.

“FFG further notes that some ASX listed companies in the BNPL space have experienced recent strong demand and increases in prices, especially company(s) involved in the Asian geographical market,” Fatfish Group said.

IOUpay (ASX:IOU) shares similarly rocketed 59.1 per cent yesterday, and it is up 324.2 per cent since December 31.

In response to a similar ASX price query, IOUpay pointed to its announcement on February 9 about its major partnership for BNPL services in Malaysia.

“This further expansion of the Company into the BNPL sector, further to its existing interests in the mobile and mobile payments sector, is likely to have been recognised by shareholders as being value accretive to IOUpay Limited shareholders by virtue of recent other BNPL market participants’ relative market performance,” IOUpay said.

Afterpay meanwhile closed up 1.6 per cent yesterday to $154.15, and is up 30.6 per cent year-to-date.

Last week the BNPL giant hit an all-time closing high of $158.47, and in intraday trading APT shares changed hands at an all-time high of $160.05.

US competitor Sezzle (ASX:SZL) gained 7.3 per cent Monday, and is up 88.5 per cent so far this year.

The other companies in the ASX BNPL sector are up between 7.3 and 17.7 per cent so far this year – aside from new entrant Payright (ASX:PYR), whose shares are down 10 per cent so far in 2021.

At Stockhead we tell it like it is. While Fatfish and IOUpay are Stockhead advertisers, they did not sponsor this article.