Earnings Season Drives Big Weekly Swings for BitMine, Lemonade, Sezzle, and Kemper

BitMine, Lemonade, Sezzle, and Kemper recorded the largest weekly swings in the heat of earnings season. The Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) edged up 0.9% in the week ended Aug. 8, 2025, trailing the S&P 500 Index. The sector's performance was influenced by the flurry of corporate earnings reports.

Earnings season has been a mixed bag for the financial sector, with notable swings in stock prices. Sezzle (SEZL) reported robust Q2 2025 earnings, while the Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) experienced outflows.

Sezzle reported a 76.4% year-over-year (YoY) revenue growth to $98.70 million, exceeding expectations [1]. Despite a 5.7% earnings per share (EPS) decline, net income hit a 5-year high of $27.60 million. The company raised its FY2025 guidance and highlighted a 74% YoY gross merchandise volume (GMV) growth to $927.0 million, with 748,000 monthly active users. Sezzle also announced an AI partnership for fraud detection, a $50.0 million stock buyback, and international expansion plans in Southeast Asia and Latin America [1].

However, Sezzle's stock fell 44.9% month-to-date (MTD) post-earnings, contrasting with a 3-year post-earnings strategy yielding 1,158.66% returns [1]. The CEO emphasized strategic scaling through intentional investments, with a 6.8pp operating margin expansion to 36.6% of Total Revenue.

The Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) experienced a $169.5 million outflow, a 0.3% decrease week over week. Citigroup (C), Blackstone (BX), and Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) rose by 1.2%, 0.9%, and 0.5% respectively. The ETF's 52-week range is $42.04 to $53.49, with a last trade of $51.83 [2][3]. The sector's mixed performance reflects broader market caution and regulatory changes [2].

Synchrony Financial (SYF) has outperformed the broader market over the past year, gaining 54.5% compared to the S&P 500 Index's 21.9% gains [2]. However, on a year-to-date (YTD) basis, SYF's stock is up 5.3% compared to the SPX's 7.8% gains [2].

In summary, while Sezzle delivered strong Q2 earnings, the financial sector as represented by XLF saw outflows. The sector's complexity and broader market caution continue to influence investor sentiment.

References:
[1] https://www.ainvest.com/news/sezzle-2025-q2-earnings-strong-performance-net-income-surges-7-2508/
[2] https://www.ainvest.com/news/financial-sector-etf-xlf-experiences-169-5-million-outflow-2508/
[3] https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/xlf-c-bx-ice-large-outflows-detected-etf