Down Almost 82% From its All-time High, Is goeasy Stock Still a Buy?

The subprime lender’s stock has been crushed. I think patient investors are looking at a rare bargain. Let’s dive deeper.

| More on:
Key Points
  • goeasy stock trades near $40, down roughly 82% from its all-time high of $216.50.
  • The damage is concentrated in its shrinking LendCare auto and powersports book, not the core lending business.
  • I think it's a buy for patient investors who can handle volatility through a messy turnaround.

I think goeasy (TSX: GSY) is a buy for investors who can stomach volatility and think in years, not weeks.

Down over 80% from all-time highs, goeasy stock is valued at a market cap of $650 million in June 2026. In the decade prior to the sell-off, the Canada-based lender had returned more than 800% to shareholders.

In this article, I explain why I believe goeasy stock can stage a comeback over the next few years.

That said, this is not a low-risk pick. goeasy is in the middle of a messy turnaround, and the next few quarters could stay ugly. If you can’t handle red ink and headline risk, this investment isn’t for you.

Real estate investment concept

Source: Getty Images

Why GSY stock is down 80%

goeasy is Canada’s largest non-prime consumer lender. It serves the roughly 9.5 million Canadians with weaker credit scores who can’t easily borrow from legacy banks.

The company lends through three brands: easyfinancial (its core direct-to-consumer loans), easyhome (lease-to-own furniture), and LendCare (loans made through merchant partners).

LendCare is the business vertical wrestling with multiple headwinds.

goeasy acquired LendCare in 2021 and pushed it into auto and powersports lending. In Q1 2026, net charge-offs in the LendCare portfolio soared to 26.4%.

goeasy also flagged a control weakness tied to how it applied an accounting standard at LendCare. The result? goeasy posted an adjusted net loss of $31.3 million or $1.90 per share in the quarter ended in March.

In late 2025, goeasy paid shareholders an annual dividend of $5.84 per share, up from $0.40 per share in March 2015. However, management suspended the dividend and share buybacks, resulting in an 80% decline from its peak.

Can goeasy stock recover?

On the call, goeasy’s Chief Risk Officer, Jason Appel, said the charge-offs are coming “predominantly” from 2024 and from some early 2025 loans.

goeasy has slashed LendCare originations by more than 80% and is winding down the loan book. As those loans roll off, the losses should shrink.

Management expects net charge-offs to average in the mid-teens for the full year, with improvement as 2026 progresses.

The core business is healthy.

  • The direct-to-consumer easyfinancial business is performing as expected. Though charge-offs in this vertical ticked higher in Q1, CEO Patrick Ens called the credit performance “strong and stable.”
  • That core franchise now makes up 58.7% of the total portfolio, up from 45% a year ago.
  • Even with the loss, goeasy reported operating cash flow of $560 million, before new loan funding in Q1, up from $410 million a year earlier.
  • It also repaid a US$65-million note maturity out of its own pocket, and quarter-end liquidity stood at $1.1 billion.

Appel pegged the Canadian non-prime credit market (excluding mortgages) at roughly $240 billion. Canadian community banks are retreating from this market, which should act as a long-term tailwind for goeasy.

Management expects the loan book to shrink in the first half of 2026, then return to growth in the second half. Ens singled out the secured home-equity loan business, about $590 million today, as one that could grow to three or four times its current size.

So, is goeasy stock a buy?

Analysts tracking GSY stock forecast a loss per share of $3.35 in 2026, compared with earnings of $3.03 per share in 2025. However, it could end 2028 with earnings of $8 per share.

The thesis is simple. The market is pricing goeasy like the whole company is broken, when the damage is concentrated in one shrinking division.

The core lending engine still works, still throws off cash, and has a massive runway.

The risks are real: liquidity is tight until two bank facilities free up, the accounting fix is a work in progress, and the macro picture in Canada remains soft.

Investors should expect the sell-off in the Canadian stock to continue if interest rates rise over the next 12 months.

Fool contributor Aditya Raghunath has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

More on Bank Stocks

Piggy bank on a flying rocket
Bank Stocks

The Canadian Bank Stock I’d Pass Onto My Kids

I already own TD Bank stock, and its improving earnings, diversified businesses, and strong capital position give me good reasons…

Read more »

Investor wonders if it's safe to buy stocks now
Bank Stocks

Is BMO Stock Still a Good Buy in September 2026?

BMO stock has pulled back after a strong rally, but improving adjusted earnings, credit trends, and shareholder returns could keep…

Read more »

coins jump into piggy bank
Bank Stocks

How Much Do You Actually Need in Your TFSA to Retire Comfortably?

CRA data shows that average TFSA values continue to rise across many older age groups, but building retirement wealth is…

Read more »

customer uses bank ATM
Stocks for Beginners

This Bank Stock Is Up 49%: I Still Think It Has Room to Run

National Bank’s stock has surged, but rising profits and a growing national footprint suggest the business may still be catching…

Read more »

A close up color image of a small green plant sprouting out of a pile of Canadian dollar coins "loonies."
Bank Stocks

Sprott Stock Climbed 26% Last Month: Buy, Sell, or Hold?

Sprott stock has rallied sharply, but strong earnings growth and long-term exposure to precious metals and critical materials keep its…

Read more »

jar with coins and plant
Bank Stocks

The 2 Canadian Banks I’d Buy for Dividend Growth

Royal Bank and TD continue to deliver strong earnings growth with healthy capital positions and growing shareholder returns, making both…

Read more »

coins jump into piggy bank
Stocks for Beginners

The Big 6 Reported Earnings: Here’s My Favourite Bank Stock to Buy Now

All six Canadian banks beat earnings estimates, but their stocks are now priced as if investors expect that to keep…

Read more »

dreaming of financial success
Bank Stocks

Up/Down 1.2% After Earnings, Is TD Bank a Good Stock to Buy Now?

The Toronto-Dominion Bank's (TSX:TD) recent earnings release handily beat expectations.

Read more »