CPSS vs ALLY vs COF vs CACC

For growth investors, Capital One Financial Corporation (COF) is the stronger pick with 28.

4% revenue growth year-over-year, versus -25. 7% for Ally Financial Inc. (ALLY). Consumer Portfolio Services, Inc. (CPSS) offers the better valuation at 12. 7x trailing P/E (4. 2x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Consumer Portfolio Services, Inc. (CPSS) a "Buy" — based on 4 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, Consumer Portfolio Services, Inc.

(CPSS) is the cheapest at 12. 7x versus Capital One Financial Corporation at 47. 0x. On forward P/E, Consumer Portfolio Services, Inc. is actually cheaper at 4. 2x.

Over the past 5 years, Consumer Portfolio Services, Inc.

(CPSS) delivered a total return of +131. 1%, compared to -6. 6% for Ally Financial Inc. (ALLY). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: ALLY returned +212. 2% versus CPSS's +173. 4%. 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), Consumer Portfolio Services, Inc.

(CPSS) is the lower-risk stock at 0. 62β versus Credit Acceptance Corporation's 1. 63β — meaning CACC is approximately 163% more volatile than CPSS relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Capital One Financial Corporation (COF) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 45% versus 11% for Consumer Portfolio Services, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Capital One Financial Corporation (COF) is pulling ahead at 28.

4% versus -25. 7% for Ally Financial Inc. (ALLY). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Credit Acceptance Corporation grew EPS 88. 9% year-over-year, compared to -65. 2% for Capital One Financial Corporation. 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.

Credit Acceptance Corporation (CACC) is the more profitable company, earning 18.

3% net margin versus 3. 5% for Capital One Financial Corporation — meaning it keeps 18. 3% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: CPSS leads at 60. 8% versus 3. 3% for COF. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — CPSS leads at 99. 6%, 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, Consumer Portfolio Services, Inc.

(CPSS) trades at 4. 2x forward P/E versus 11. 1x for Credit Acceptance Corporation — 6. 9x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for COF: 41. 0% to $267. 18.

In this comparison, COF (1.

7% yield) pays a dividend. CPSS, ALLY, CACC do not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.

For long-horizon retirement investors, Consumer Portfolio Services, Inc.

(CPSS) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0. 62), +173. 4% 10Y return). Credit Acceptance Corporation (CACC) carries a higher beta of 1. 63 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (CPSS: +173. 4%, CACC: +190. 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.

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: CPSS is a small-cap deep-value stock; ALLY is a mid-cap quality compounder stock; COF is a mid-cap high-growth stock; CACC is a small-cap deep-value stock. COF pays a dividend while CPSS, ALLY, CACC do not, making them suitable for different income and tax situations. 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.