AII vs HCI

For growth investors, HCI Group, Inc.

(HCI) is the stronger pick with 20. 2% revenue growth year-over-year, versus 1. 7% for American Integrity Insurance Group, Inc. (AII). HCI Group, Inc. (HCI) offers the better valuation at 6. 2x trailing P/E (9. 3x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate American Integrity Insurance Group, Inc. (AII) 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, HCI Group, Inc.

(HCI) is the cheapest at 6. 2x versus American Integrity Insurance Group, Inc. at 10. 0x. On forward P/E, American Integrity Insurance Group, Inc. is actually cheaper at 6. 8x — notably different from the trailing picture, reflecting expected earnings growth.

Over the past 5 years, HCI Group, Inc.

(HCI) delivered a total return of +110. 5%, compared to +20. 3% for American Integrity Insurance Group, Inc. (AII). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: HCI returned +451. 6% versus AII's +20. 3%. 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), HCI Group, Inc.

(HCI) is the lower-risk stock at 0. 39β versus American Integrity Insurance Group, Inc. 's 0. 49β — meaning AII is approximately 25% more volatile than HCI relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, American Integrity Insurance Group, Inc. (AII) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 2% versus 6% for HCI Group, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), HCI Group, Inc.

(HCI) is pulling ahead at 20. 2% versus 1. 7% for American Integrity Insurance Group, Inc. (AII). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: HCI Group, Inc. grew EPS 179. 8% year-over-year, compared to 5. 4% for American Integrity Insurance Group, Inc.. 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.

HCI Group, Inc.

(HCI) is the more profitable company, earning 33. 2% net margin versus 19. 4% for American Integrity Insurance Group, Inc. — meaning it keeps 33. 2% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: HCI leads at 47. 7% versus 25. 0% for AII. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — HCI leads at 73. 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.

On forward earnings alone, American Integrity Insurance Group, Inc.

(AII) trades at 6. 8x forward P/E versus 9. 3x for HCI Group, Inc. — 2. 4x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for AII: 45. 0% to $28. 00.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

American Integrity Insurance Group, Inc. (AII) offers the highest yield at 3. 2%, versus 1. 0% for HCI Group, Inc. (HCI).

For long-horizon retirement investors, HCI Group, Inc.

(HCI) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0. 39), 1. 0% yield, +451. 6% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (HCI: +451. 6%, AII: +20. 3%), 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.

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: AII is a small-cap deep-value stock; HCI is a small-cap high-growth 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.