Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare KKR Group Finance Co. IX LLC 4. (KKRS) vs Capital One Financial Corporation (COF) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | KKRS | 50.9% revenue growth vs COF's 9.0% |
| Value | KKRS | Lower P/E (3.3x vs 9.7x) |
| Quality / Margins | KKRS | 22.4% net margin vs COF's 8.8% |
| Stability / Safety | KKRS | Beta 0.25 vs COF's 1.53 |
| Dividends | KKRS | 3.7% yield, vs COF's 1.2% |
| Momentum (1Y) | COF | -1.1% vs KKRS's -2.9% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | KKRS | 1.5% ROA vs COF's 0.2%, ROIC 28.7% vs 4.1% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
KKR Group Finance Co. IX LLC is a special purpose financing entity that exists to raise capital for KKR's investment activities. It generates revenue primarily through interest income from loans and debt securities issued to fund KKR's private equity and credit investments. Its key advantage is its structural role within the KKR ecosystem—providing efficient, dedicated financing capacity for one of the world's largest alternative asset managers.
Capital One is a diversified financial services company that operates primarily as a credit card issuer and consumer bank. It generates revenue through three main segments: credit card interest and fees (its largest segment), consumer banking services, and commercial banking operations. The company's key advantage lies in its sophisticated data analytics and technology platform—which enables targeted marketing and risk assessment—coupled with its direct banking model that reduces physical branch costs.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
KKRS leads in 4 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Valuation Metrics). COF leads in 1 (Total Returns). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
COF is the larger business by revenue, generating $53.9B annually — 2.5x KKRS's $21.9B. KKRS is the more profitable business, keeping 22.4% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to COF's 8.8%.
| Metric | KKRSKKR Group Finance… | COFCapital One Finan… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $21.9B | $53.9B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $18.8B | $6.1B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $6.0B | $1.4B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $4.2B | $20.8B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +80.2% | +50.8% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +74.2% | +11.0% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +22.4% | +8.8% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +29.7% | +31.4% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | — | — |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | — | +9.5% |
Valuation Metrics
At 3.3x trailing earnings, KKRS trades at a 80% valuation discount to COF's 16.9x P/E. On an enterprise value basis, KKRS's 1.0x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than COF's 13.9x.
| Metric | KKRSKKR Group Finance… | COFCapital One Finan… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $15.7B | $124.4B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $15.7B | $126.7B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 3.34x | 16.88x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 9.67x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 10.08x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 0.96x | 13.85x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.72x | 2.31x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 1030.16x | 1.23x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 2.41x | 7.34x |
Profitability & Efficiency
KKRS delivers a 8.0% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $8 in annual profit, vs $1 for COF. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), KKRS scores 6/9 vs COF's 5/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | KKRSKKR Group Finance… | COFCapital One Finan… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +8.0% | +1.2% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +1.5% | +0.2% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +28.7% | +4.1% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +10.2% | +4.6% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 6 | 5 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | — | 0.75x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$9M | $2.3B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $9M | $43.2B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $0 | $45.6B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 59.74x | 0.11x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in COF five years ago would be worth $16,819 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $8,930 for KKRS. Over the past 12 months, COF leads with a -1.1% total return vs KKRS's -2.9%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors COF at 23.1% vs KKRS's 3.9% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | KKRSKKR Group Finance… | COFCapital One Finan… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -0.7% | -20.8% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -2.9% | -1.1% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +12.0% | +86.3% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -10.7% | +68.2% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -10.7% | +228.4% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +3.9% | +23.1% |
Risk & Volatility
KKRS is the less volatile stock with a 0.25 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than COF's 1.53 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. KKRS currently trades 90.5% from its 52-week high vs COF's 75.4% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | KKRSKKR Group Finance… | COFCapital One Finan… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.25x | 1.53x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $19.44 | $259.64 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $16.40 | $143.22 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +90.5% | +75.4% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 49.1 | 45.1 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 40K | 4.5M |
Analyst Outlook
For income investors, KKRS offers the higher dividend yield at 3.73% vs COF's 1.24%.
| Metric | KKRSKKR Group Finance… | COFCapital One Finan… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | — | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | — | $273.62 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | — | 56 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +3.7% | +1.2% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 0 | 2 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $0.66 | $2.43 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | +0.6% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Apr 21 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| KKR Group Finance C… (KKRS) | 100 | 67.78 | -32.2% |
| Capital One Financi… (COF) | 100 | 149.2 | +49.2% |
Capital One Financi… (COF) returned +68% over 5 years vs KKR Group Finance C… (KKRS)'s -11%. A $10,000 investment in COF 5 years ago would be worth $16,819 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| KKR Group Finance C… (KKRS) | $6.2B | $21.9B | +254.6% |
| Capital One Financi… (COF) | $25.0B | $53.9B | +115.4% |
KKR Group Finance Co. IX LLC 4.'s revenue grew from $6.2B (2015) to $21.9B (2024) — a 15.1% CAGR. Capital One Financial Corporation's revenue grew from $25.0B (2015) to $53.9B (2024) — a 8.9% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| KKR Group Finance C… (KKRS) | 7.9% | 22.4% | +183.2% |
| Capital One Financi… (COF) | 16.2% | 8.8% | -45.6% |
KKR Group Finance Co. IX LLC 4.'s net margin went from 8% (2015) to 22% (2024). Capital One Financial Corporation's net margin went from 16% (2015) to 9% (2024).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 8 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| KKR Group Finance C… (KKRS) | 1.3 | 3.5 | +169.2% |
| Capital One Financi… (COF) | 28.5 | 15.4 | -46.0% |
KKR Group Finance Co. IX LLC 4. has traded in a 1x–5x P/E range over 3 years; current trailing P/E is ~3x. Capital One Financial Corporation has traded in a 5x–29x P/E range over 8 years; current trailing P/E is ~17x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| KKR Group Finance C… (KKRS) | 1.01 | 5.26 | +420.8% |
| Capital One Financi… (COF) | 7.07 | 11.59 | +63.9% |
KKR Group Finance Co. IX LLC 4.'s EPS grew from $1.01 (2015) to $5.26 (2024) — a 20% CAGR. Capital One Financial Corporation's EPS grew from $7.07 (2015) to $11.59 (2024) — a 6% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
KKR Group Finance Co. IX LLC 4. generated $7B FCF in 2024 (+189% vs 2021). Capital One Financial Corporation generated $17B FCF in 2024 (+46% vs 2021).
KKRS vs COF: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is KKRS or COF a better buy right now?
KKR Group Finance Co. IX LLC 4. (KKRS) offers the better valuation at 3.3x trailing P/E, making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Capital One Financial Corporation (COF) a "Buy" — based on 56 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which has the better valuation — KKRS or COF?
On trailing P/E, KKR Group Finance Co. IX LLC 4. (KKRS) is the cheapest at 3.3x versus Capital One Financial Corporation at 16.9x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — KKRS or COF?
Over the past 5 years, Capital One Financial Corporation (COF) delivered a total return of +68.2%, compared to -10.7% for KKR Group Finance Co. IX LLC 4. (KKRS). A $10,000 investment in COF five years ago would be worth approximately $17K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: COF returned +228.4% versus KKRS's -10.7%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
04Which is safer — KKRS or COF?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), KKR Group Finance Co. IX LLC 4. (KKRS) is the lower-risk stock at 0.25β versus Capital One Financial Corporation's 1.53β — meaning COF is approximately 506% more volatile than KKRS relative to the S&P 500.
05Which has better profit margins — KKRS or COF?
KKR Group Finance Co. IX LLC 4. (KKRS) is the more profitable company, earning 22.4% net margin versus 8.8% for Capital One Financial Corporation — meaning it keeps 22.4% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: KKRS leads at 74.2% versus 11.0% for COF. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — KKRS leads at 80.2%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
06Which pays a better dividend — KKRS or COF?
All stocks in this comparison pay dividends. KKR Group Finance Co. IX LLC 4. (KKRS) offers the highest yield at 3.7%, versus 1.2% for Capital One Financial Corporation (COF).
07Is KKRS or COF better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, KKR Group Finance Co. IX LLC 4. (KKRS) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.25), 3.7% yield). Capital One Financial Corporation (COF) carries a higher beta of 1.53 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (KKRS: -10.7%, COF: +228.4%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
08What are the main differences between KKRS and COF?
Both stocks operate in the Financial Services sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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