AGM vs RC vs AGNC vs ACRE vs NLY

For growth investors, Ready Capital Corporation (RC) is the stronger pick with 1726% revenue growth year-over-year, versus -18.

9% for Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (AGM). Annaly Capital Management, Inc. (NLY) offers the better valuation at 7. 7x trailing P/E (7. 5x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (AGM) a "Buy" — based on 5 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.

On trailing P/E, Annaly Capital Management, Inc.

(NLY) is the cheapest at 7. 7x versus AGNC Investment Corp. at 11. 5x. On forward P/E, AGNC Investment Corp. is actually cheaper at 6. 9x — notably different from the trailing picture, reflecting expected earnings growth.

Over the past 5 years, Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (AGM) delivered a total return of +102.

2%, compared to -44. 4% for Ready Capital Corporation (RC). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: AGM returned +423. 4% versus RC's +6. 1%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.

By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Annaly Capital Management, Inc.

(NLY) is the lower-risk stock at 0. 64β versus Ready Capital Corporation's 1. 17β — meaning RC is approximately 83% more volatile than NLY relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, AGNC Investment Corp. (AGNC) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 1% versus 18% for Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Ready Capital Corporation (RC) is pulling ahead at 1726% versus -18.

9% for Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (AGM). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: AGNC Investment Corp. grew EPS 1760% year-over-year, compared to 1. 1% for Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation. Over a 3-year CAGR, AGNC leads at 26. 4% annualised revenue growth. Higher growth typically commands a higher valuation multiple — check whether the premium P/E or P/S is justified by the growth rate using the PEG ratio.

Annaly Capital Management, Inc.

(NLY) is the more profitable company, earning 30. 3% net margin versus -45. 8% for Ready Capital Corporation — meaning it keeps 30. 3% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: NLY leads at 102. 6% versus 19. 4% for AGM. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — AGNC leads at 100. 0%, 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.

On forward earnings alone, AGNC Investment Corp.

(AGNC) trades at 6. 9x forward P/E versus 16. 3x for Ares Commercial Real Estate Corporation — 9. 5x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for AGM: 27. 5% to $233. 00.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

Ready Capital Corporation (RC) offers the highest yield at 31. 4%, versus 4. 4% for Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (AGM).

For long-horizon retirement investors, Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (AGM) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.

76), 4. 4% yield, +423. 4% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (AGM: +423. 4%, RC: +6. 1%), 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.

These companies operate in different sectors (AGM (Financial Services) and RC (Real Estate) and AGNC (Real Estate) and ACRE (Real Estate) and NLY (Real Estate)), which means they face different economic cycles, regulatory environments, and macro sensitivities — making direct comparison nuanced.

In terms of investment character: AGM is a small-cap deep-value stock; RC is a small-cap high-growth stock; AGNC is a small-cap high-growth stock; ACRE is a small-cap income-oriented stock; NLY is a mid-cap deep-value 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.