CHYM vs SOFI vs DAVE vs MQ vs AFRM

For growth investors, Dave Inc.

(DAVE) is the stronger pick with 47. 5% revenue growth year-over-year, versus 23. 3% for Marqeta, Inc. (MQ). Dave Inc. (DAVE) offers the better valuation at 18. 4x trailing P/E (19. 1x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Chime Financial, Inc. Class A Common Stock (CHYM) a "Buy" — based on 8 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, Dave Inc.

(DAVE) is the cheapest at 18. 4x versus Affirm Holdings, Inc. at 449. 1x. On forward P/E, Dave Inc. is actually cheaper at 19. 1x.

Over the past 5 years, Affirm Holdings, Inc.

(AFRM) delivered a total return of +24. 7%, compared to -86. 3% for Marqeta, Inc. (MQ). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: SOFI returned +52. 7% versus MQ's -86. 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), Marqeta, Inc.

(MQ) is the lower-risk stock at 0. 87β versus Affirm Holdings, Inc. 's 2. 72β — meaning AFRM is approximately 214% more volatile than MQ relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Marqeta, Inc. (MQ) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 3% versus 3% for Affirm Holdings, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Dave Inc.

(DAVE) is pulling ahead at 47. 5% versus 23. 3% for Marqeta, Inc. (MQ). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Dave Inc. grew EPS 222. 9% year-over-year, compared to -37. 2% for Chime Financial, Inc. Class A Common Stock. Over a 3-year CAGR, DAVE leads at 35. 7% 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.

Dave Inc.

(DAVE) is the more profitable company, earning 38. 3% net margin versus -46. 2% for Chime Financial, Inc. Class A Common Stock — meaning it keeps 38. 3% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: SOFI leads at 11. 0% versus -47. 6% for CHYM. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — CHYM leads at 85. 9%, 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, Dave Inc.

(DAVE) trades at 19. 1x forward P/E versus 250. 9x for Marqeta, Inc. — 231. 8x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for CHYM: 39. 4% to $26. 50.

None of the stocks in this comparison currently pay a material dividend.

All are effectively zero-yield and should be held for capital appreciation rather than income.

For long-horizon retirement investors, Marqeta, Inc.

(MQ) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0. 87)). Chime Financial, Inc. Class A Common Stock (CHYM) carries a higher beta of 2. 50 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (MQ: -86. 3%, CHYM: -48. 8%), 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 (CHYM (Financial Services) and SOFI (Financial Services) and DAVE (Technology) and MQ (Technology) and AFRM (Technology)), which means they face different economic cycles, regulatory environments, and macro sensitivities — making direct comparison nuanced.

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.