Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Oppenheimer Holdings Inc. (OPY) vs The Charles Schwab Corporation (SCHW) 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 | OPY | 14.7% revenue growth vs SCHW's 1.9% |
| Value | SCHW | Lower P/E (16.2x vs 104.0x), PEG 7.08 vs 9.65 |
| Quality / Margins | SCHW | 22.9% net margin vs OPY's 5.0% |
| Stability / Safety | SCHW | Beta 0.88 vs OPY's 0.97 |
| Dividends | SCHW | 1.3% yield, vs OPY's 0.7% |
| Momentum (1Y) | OPY | +33.3% vs SCHW's +21.1% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | SCHW | 232.8% ROA vs OPY's 2.2%, ROIC 6.0% vs 15.7% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Valuation efficiency (growth/$)
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Oppenheimer Holdings is a middle-market investment bank and full-service broker-dealer serving institutional and retail clients. It generates revenue primarily through brokerage commissions and fees (roughly 60%), investment banking advisory services (about 25%), and asset management fees (around 15%). The firm's competitive advantage lies in its deep middle-market expertise and long-standing client relationships in specialized sectors.
Charles Schwab is a major financial services firm that operates as a discount brokerage, wealth manager, and bank for individual investors and financial advisors. It generates revenue primarily from net interest income on client cash balances (roughly 50%), asset management fees on its proprietary funds and advisory services, and trading commissions. The company's key competitive advantage is its massive scale in client assets—over $8 trillion—which creates a powerful network effect and allows it to offer low-cost services while maintaining profitability.
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
OPY leads in 3 of 6 categories (Valuation Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). SCHW leads in 1 (Financial Metrics). 2 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
SCHW is the larger business by revenue, generating $26.0B annually — 18.1x OPY's $1.4B. SCHW is the more profitable business, keeping 22.9% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to OPY's 5.0%.
| Metric | OPYOppenheimer Holdi… | SCHWThe Charles Schwa… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $1.4B | $26.0B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $369M | $12.8B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $85M | $8.9B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $47M | $9.7B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +32.7% | +75.4% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +21.3% | +29.6% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +5.0% | +22.9% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -7.9% | +7.9% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | — | — |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -12.4% | +41.5% |
Valuation Metrics
At 13.5x trailing earnings, OPY trades at a 57% valuation discount to SCHW's 31.8x P/E. Adjusting for growth (PEG ratio), OPY offers better value at 1.26x vs SCHW's 13.91x — a lower PEG means you pay less per unit of expected earnings growth.
| Metric | OPYOppenheimer Holdi… | SCHWThe Charles Schwa… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $899M | $169.2B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $1.6B | $172.2B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 13.55x | 31.84x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 103.96x | 16.22x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | 1.26x | 13.91x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 4.54x | 18.87x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.63x | 6.51x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 1.14x | 3.61x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | 82.52x |
Profitability & Efficiency
SCHW delivers a 2.9% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $3 in annual profit, vs $9 for OPY. OPY carries lower financial leverage with a 0.81x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to SCHW's 0.93x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), SCHW scores 7/9 vs OPY's 5/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | OPYOppenheimer Holdi… | SCHWThe Charles Schwa… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +9.2% | +2.9% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +2.2% | +2.3% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +15.7% | +6.0% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +11.5% | +9.5% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 5 | 7 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.81x | 0.93x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $654M | $3.1B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $33M | $42.1B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $688M | $45.1B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 2.39x | 3.05x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in OPY five years ago would be worth $22,737 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $15,597 for SCHW. Over the past 12 months, OPY leads with a +33.3% total return vs SCHW's +21.1%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors OPY at 26.5% vs SCHW's 8.1% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | OPYOppenheimer Holdi… | SCHWThe Charles Schwa… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +19.0% | -6.0% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +33.3% | +21.1% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +102.5% | +26.2% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +127.4% | +56.0% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +569.1% | +309.4% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +26.5% | +8.1% |
Risk & Volatility
SCHW is the less volatile stock with a 0.88 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than OPY's 0.97 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. OPY currently trades 91.7% from its 52-week high vs SCHW's 88.6% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | OPYOppenheimer Holdi… | SCHWThe Charles Schwa… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.97x | 0.88x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $94.10 | $107.50 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $49.26 | $65.88 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +91.7% | +88.6% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 63.3 | 48.7 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 40K | 9.0M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates OPY as "Buy" and SCHW as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 131.8% upside for OPY (target: $200) vs 29.0% for SCHW (target: $123). For income investors, SCHW offers the higher dividend yield at 1.30% vs OPY's 0.71%.
| Metric | OPYOppenheimer Holdi… | SCHWThe Charles Schwa… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $200.00 | $122.78 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 2 | 50 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +0.7% | +1.3% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 1 | 0 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $0.61 | $1.24 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +1.1% | 0.0% |
Historical Charts
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Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Mar 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oppenheimer Holding… (OPY) | 100 | 362.81 | +262.8% |
| The Charles Schwab … (SCHW) | 100 | 250.52 | +150.5% |
Oppenheimer Holding… (OPY) returned +127% over 5 years vs The Charles Schwab … (SCHW)'s +56%. A $10,000 investment in OPY 5 years ago would be worth $22,737 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oppenheimer Holding… (OPY) | $898M | $1.4B | +59.6% |
| The Charles Schwab … (SCHW) | $6.5B | $26.0B | +299.9% |
Oppenheimer Holdings Inc.'s revenue grew from $898M (2015) to $1.4B (2024) — a 5.3% CAGR. The Charles Schwab Corporation's revenue grew from $6.5B (2015) to $26.0B (2024) — a 16.7% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oppenheimer Holding… (OPY) | 0.2% | 5.0% | +2186.2% |
| The Charles Schwab … (SCHW) | 22.3% | 22.9% | +2.7% |
Oppenheimer Holdings Inc.'s net margin went from 0% (2015) to 5% (2024). The Charles Schwab Corporation's net margin went from 22% (2015) to 23% (2024).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 8 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oppenheimer Holding… (OPY) | 16 | 10.1 | -36.9% |
| The Charles Schwab … (SCHW) | 31.9 | 24.8 | -22.3% |
Oppenheimer Holdings Inc. has traded in a 3x–17x P/E range over 8 years; current trailing P/E is ~14x. The Charles Schwab Corporation has traded in a 17x–32x P/E range over 8 years; current trailing P/E is ~32x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oppenheimer Holding… (OPY) | 0.14 | 6.37 | +4450.0% |
| The Charles Schwab … (SCHW) | 1.03 | 2.99 | +190.3% |
Oppenheimer Holdings Inc.'s EPS grew from $0.14 (2015) to $6.37 (2024) — a 53% CAGR. The Charles Schwab Corporation's EPS grew from $1.03 (2015) to $2.99 (2024) — a 13% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Oppenheimer Holdings Inc. generated $-113M FCF in 2024 (-152% vs 2021). The Charles Schwab Corporation generated $2B FCF in 2024 (+71% vs 2021).
OPY vs SCHW: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is OPY or SCHW a better buy right now?
Oppenheimer Holdings Inc. (OPY) offers the better valuation at 13.5x trailing P/E (104.0x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Oppenheimer Holdings Inc. (OPY) a "Buy" — based on 2 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 — OPY or SCHW?
On trailing P/E, Oppenheimer Holdings Inc. (OPY) is the cheapest at 13.5x versus The Charles Schwab Corporation at 31.8x. On forward P/E, The Charles Schwab Corporation is actually cheaper at 16.2x — notably different from the trailing picture, reflecting expected earnings growth. The PEG ratio (P/E divided by earnings growth rate) is the most growth-adjusted single valuation metric: The Charles Schwab Corporation wins at 7.08x versus Oppenheimer Holdings Inc.'s 9.65x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — OPY or SCHW?
Over the past 5 years, Oppenheimer Holdings Inc. (OPY) delivered a total return of +127.4%, compared to +56.0% for The Charles Schwab Corporation (SCHW). A $10,000 investment in OPY five years ago would be worth approximately $23K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: OPY returned +569.1% versus SCHW's +309.4%. 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 — OPY or SCHW?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), The Charles Schwab Corporation (SCHW) is the lower-risk stock at 0.88β versus Oppenheimer Holdings Inc.'s 0.97β — meaning OPY is approximately 11% more volatile than SCHW relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Oppenheimer Holdings Inc. (OPY) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 81% versus 93% for The Charles Schwab Corporation — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which has better profit margins — OPY or SCHW?
The Charles Schwab Corporation (SCHW) is the more profitable company, earning 22.9% net margin versus 5.0% for Oppenheimer Holdings Inc. — meaning it keeps 22.9% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: SCHW leads at 29.6% versus 21.3% for OPY. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — SCHW leads at 75.4%, 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.
06Is OPY or SCHW more undervalued right now?
The PEG ratio (forward P/E divided by expected earnings growth rate) is the most precise measure of undervaluation relative to growth potential. By this metric, The Charles Schwab Corporation (SCHW) is the more undervalued stock at a PEG of 7.08x versus Oppenheimer Holdings Inc.'s 9.65x. Both stocks trade at elevated growth-adjusted valuations, so expected growth needs to materialise. On forward earnings alone, The Charles Schwab Corporation (SCHW) trades at 16.2x forward P/E versus 104.0x for Oppenheimer Holdings Inc. — 87.7x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for OPY: 131.8% to $200.00.
07Which pays a better dividend — OPY or SCHW?
All stocks in this comparison pay dividends. The Charles Schwab Corporation (SCHW) offers the highest yield at 1.3%, versus 0.7% for Oppenheimer Holdings Inc. (OPY).
08Is OPY or SCHW better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Oppenheimer Holdings Inc. (OPY) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.97), 0.7% yield, +569.1% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (OPY: +569.1%, SCHW: +309.4%), 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.
09What are the main differences between OPY and SCHW?
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. In terms of investment character: OPY is a small-cap deep-value stock; SCHW is a mid-cap quality compounder stock. 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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