The UK stock market isn’t known for having loads of disruptive growth companies. Those are generally listed on the Nasdaq across the pond.
However, a handful of the brightest UK growth firms did list in London back in 2021. One of them was Wise (LSE:WISE), the cross-border payments specialist.
And after posting another set of strong results yesterday (13 April), there’s a strong argument that this fintech is the UK’s top growth stock. Let’s take a closer look.
On a mission
For those unfamiliar, Wise’s founding mission is to “build money without borders“. Specifically to replace the hidden charges, marked-up exchange rates and slow transfers that still happen when money crosses borders.
Instead, the company’s global infrastructure moves money faster, more transparently, and at far lower cost. Over the long term, it aims to transfer trillions worldwide for consumers, businesses and banks.
In Q4 of its 2026 financial year (FY26), Wise made progress towards its ultimate aim. Quarterly cross-border volumes increased 27% on a constant currency basis to £49.4bn, while active customers grew 22% to 11.3m.
Wise was granted membership to Payments Canada in the period, opening up the potential for growth there. In Q3, it secured a conditional licence approval in South Africa and went live with a direct integration to Japan’s Zengin system.
Last year, Wise launched in Mexico, allowing Mexicans to send money abroad cheaply (and vice versa). And Itaú Unibanco, one of Latin America’s largest banks, is using Wise Platform (built for banks, fintechs, and large companies).
Quarterly underlying income jumped 24% on both a reported and constant currency basis to £435.3m. 75% of money was transferred instantly, up from 65% the year before.
For the full year, active customers were up 21% to 18.9m, driving cross-border volume 25% higher to £181.7bn. Reported underlying income rose 18% to £1.6bn, and the company expects its underlying pre-tax profit margin to be towards the top of its 13%–16% target range.
Moving stateside
Arguably, Wise doesn’t get the attention it deserves because it’s not in the FTSE 100, despite having a £10.5bn market cap. This is mainly due to its dual-class share structure, which gives the founders more control than regular shareholders (this helps prevent hostile takeovers).
In 2024, the UK overhauled the listing regime to attract growth firms and prevent others from leaving London. However, instead of joining the FTSE 100, Wise has chosen to move its primary listing to the Nasdaq.
It will keep a secondary listing on the London Stock Exchange. But the firm says this move stateside — where its largest market opportunity lies — will accelerate its “path to become ‘the’ network for the worldʼs money“.
Management is confident this will create long-term value for shareholders. As one myself, I’m optimistic the move could help Wise achieve a higher valuation.
Reasonably priced
Looking ahead, the company does face stiff competition from fintechs like Revolut (Wise has just launched a UK current account). Also, an economic slowdown could result in fewer money transfers.
Overall though, FY26 was another cracking year. With its growing global platform and massive long-term market opportunity, I do think Wise is the UK’s top growth stock today.
Currently, it’s trading at around 25 times forward earnings. At this reasonable valuation, I think it’s worth considering at around £10 per share.
