GHLD vs ICE

For growth investors, Guild Holdings Company (GHLD) is the stronger pick with 60.

9% revenue growth year-over-year, versus 7. 5% for Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (ICE). Guild Holdings Company (GHLD) offers the better valuation at 12. 8x trailing P/E (10. 2x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (ICE) a "Buy" — based on 36 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, Guild Holdings Company (GHLD) is the cheapest at 12.

8x versus Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. at 26. 9x. On forward P/E, Guild Holdings Company is actually cheaper at 10. 2x. The PEG ratio (P/E divided by earnings growth rate) is the most growth-adjusted single valuation metric: Guild Holdings Company wins at 0. 14x versus Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. 's 2. 18x — a PEG below 1. 0 traditionally signals the market is underpricing earnings growth.

Over the past 5 years, Guild Holdings Company (GHLD) delivered a total return of +55.

0%, compared to +42. 7% for Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (ICE). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: ICE returned +231. 9% versus GHLD's +58. 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), Guild Holdings Company (GHLD) is the lower-risk stock at 0.

04β versus Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. 's 0. 33β — meaning ICE is approximately 680% more volatile than GHLD relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (ICE) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 70% versus 2% for Guild Holdings Company — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Guild Holdings Company (GHLD) is pulling ahead at 60.

9% versus 7. 5% for Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (ICE). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Guild Holdings Company grew EPS 343. 8% year-over-year, compared to 20. 7% for Intercontinental Exchange, 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.

Intercontinental Exchange, Inc.

(ICE) is the more profitable company, earning 26. 1% net margin versus 8. 3% for Guild Holdings Company — meaning it keeps 26. 1% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: ICE leads at 38. 7% versus 10. 1% for GHLD. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — GHLD leads at 90. 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.

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, Guild Holdings Company (GHLD) is the more undervalued stock at a PEG of 0. 14x versus Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. 's 2. 18x. A PEG below 1. 0 is traditionally considered the threshold for growth-adjusted undervaluation. On forward earnings alone, Guild Holdings Company (GHLD) trades at 10. 2x forward P/E versus 19. 4x for Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. — 9. 1x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for ICE: 26. 0% to $195. 71.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

Guild Holdings Company (GHLD) offers the highest yield at 2. 5%, versus 1. 2% for Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (ICE).

For long-horizon retirement investors, Guild Holdings Company (GHLD) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.

04), 2. 5% yield). Both have compounded well over 10 years (GHLD: +58. 4%, ICE: +231. 9%), 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: GHLD is a small-cap high-growth stock; ICE 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.