As previously reported, Needham analyst Mayank Tandon downgraded Qudian (QD) to Hold from Buy, stating that data points from the company's Q2 earnings call further highlight the tough environment that Chinese online lenders are facing. While Qudian doesn't have the same degree of person-to-person exposure that Yirendai (YRD) does, he still expects it to face tougherfunding, credit, and regulation challenges, Tandon tells investors. Tandon is also skeptical of Qudian's assertion that the expiration of its agreement with Ant Financial won't weigh on results.