Oportun Financial initiated with an Overweight at Stephens

Stephens initiated coverage of Oportun Financial (OPRT) with an Overweight rating and $10 price target The firm recommends specialty finance stocks with “funding advantages and superior customer-acquisition models,” saying these companies are the most insulated from economic downturns and heightened competition. Oportun trades at a “substantial discount” to peers and its historical levels given some missteps which has resulted in a period of losses, the analyst tells investors in a research note. Stephens believes the company has worked through its credit issues, improved underwriting, and has shored up its balance sheet. It now expects the stock’s discount to peers will diminish over time.