NAVI vs GS

For growth investors, The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.

(GS) is the stronger pick with 17. 0% revenue growth year-over-year, versus -23. 7% for Navient Corporation (NAVI). The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (GS) offers the better valuation at 23. 1x trailing P/E (15. 8x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Navient Corporation (NAVI) a "Hold" — based on 24 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 forward P/E, Navient Corporation is actually cheaper at 12.

2x — notably different from the trailing picture, reflecting expected earnings growth.

Over the past 5 years, The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.

(GS) delivered a total return of +171. 1%, compared to -29. 8% for Navient Corporation (NAVI). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: GS returned +536. 1% versus NAVI's +15. 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), Navient Corporation (NAVI) is the lower-risk stock at 0.

92β versus The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. 's 1. 47β — meaning GS is approximately 59% more volatile than NAVI relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (GS) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 5% versus 19% for Navient Corporation — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.

(GS) is pulling ahead at 17. 0% versus -23. 7% for Navient Corporation (NAVI). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. grew EPS 77. 3% year-over-year, compared to -168. 6% for Navient 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.

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.

(GS) is the more profitable company, earning 11. 3% net margin versus -2. 5% for Navient Corporation — meaning it keeps 11. 3% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: NAVI leads at 77. 1% versus 14. 5% for GS. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — NAVI leads at 87. 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, Navient Corporation (NAVI) trades at 12.

2x forward P/E versus 15. 8x for The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. — 3. 6x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for GS: 6. 2% to $995. 89.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

Navient Corporation (NAVI) offers the highest yield at 7. 3%, versus 1. 4% for The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (GS).

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

92), 7. 3% yield). Both have compounded well over 10 years (NAVI: +15. 3%, GS: +536. 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.

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: NAVI is a small-cap income-oriented stock; GS is a large-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.