Not JPMorgan, Not Bank of America — SoFi Tops Forbes Best Banks List In The US

It's not JP Morgan Chase & Co (NYSE: JPM). It's not Bank of America Corp (NYSE: BAC). According to Forbes' latest rankings, the top bank in the U.S. is SoFi Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: SOFI) -a fintech-turned-bank that's still trading far from its highs.

The recognition, based on a global survey of over 54,000 consumers, puts SoFi ahead of incumbents like Citigroup, Inc. (NYSE: C) and American Express Co (NYSE: AXP). But while the headline signals a shift in customer perception, the stock tells a more cautious story.

Strong Brand, Weak Tape

SoFi stock has been volatile. Despite a 75% gain over the past year, it's still down sharply in recent months, off ~39% year-to-date and over 11% in the past month. That disconnect raises the key question: is the market underestimating the business, or correctly pricing in risks?

At around $16-17, the stock sits well below its 52-week high of $32.73, suggesting sentiment hasn't caught up with the brand momentum reflected in rankings like Forbes'.

Technicals Still In Repair Mode

The chart isn't fully convincing-yet.

SoFi is trading below its 50-day (~$18.70) and 200-day (~$23.80) moving averages, keeping the broader trend under pressure. While price has bounced recently, it's still struggling to reclaim key resistance zones.

Momentum is improving, but not decisively:

  • MACD (moving average convergence/divergence) is turning positive, hinting at early recovery
  • RSI (relative strength index) (~44) remains below neutral, suggesting limited strength
  • Price is hovering near short-term support (~$15.8-16.6 range)
In short, this looks more like a stabilization attempt than a confirmed uptrend.

The Bigger Debate

CEO Anthony Noto has positioned SoFi as a hybrid-combining fintech speed with bank regulation. Owning its tech stack and expanding into areas such as crypto trading reinforces that narrative.

But investors aren't fully buying it-at least not yet.

With a P/E above 40 and increasing competition from both legacy banks and fintech peers, SoFi still needs to prove that its "one-stop financial platform" model can translate into consistent earnings power.

For now, the story is split. Customers may be ranking SoFi at the top-but the stock is still trying to catch up.