OPY vs SF vs PIPR vs MC vs HLI

For growth investors, Piper Sandler Companies (PIPR) is the stronger pick with 28.

6% revenue growth year-over-year, versus 6. 9% for Stifel Financial Corp. (SF). Oppenheimer Holdings Inc. (OPY) offers the better valuation at 7. 3x trailing P/E (114. 3x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Oppenheimer Holdings Inc. (OPY) a "Buy" — based on 2 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, Oppenheimer Holdings Inc.

(OPY) is the cheapest at 7. 3x versus Houlihan Lokey, Inc. at 26. 4x. On forward P/E, Stifel Financial Corp. is actually cheaper at 12. 1x — notably different from the trailing picture, reflecting expected earnings growth. The PEG ratio (P/E divided by earnings growth rate) is the most growth-adjusted single valuation metric: Piper Sandler Companies wins at 0. 40x versus Oppenheimer Holdings Inc. 's 16. 34x — a PEG below 1. 0 traditionally signals the market is underpricing earnings growth.

Over the past 5 years, Piper Sandler Companies (PIPR) delivered a total return of +189.

1%, compared to +50. 2% for Moelis & Company (MC). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: PIPR returned +820. 3% versus MC's +262. 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), Houlihan Lokey, Inc.

(HLI) is the lower-risk stock at 0. 94β versus Moelis & Company's 1. 75β — meaning MC is approximately 86% more volatile than HLI relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Piper Sandler Companies (PIPR) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 7% versus 63% for Oppenheimer Holdings Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Piper Sandler Companies (PIPR) is pulling ahead at 28.

6% versus 6. 9% for Stifel Financial Corp. (SF). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Oppenheimer Holdings Inc. grew EPS 104. 7% year-over-year, compared to -5. 9% for Stifel Financial Corp.. 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.

Houlihan Lokey, Inc.

(HLI) is the more profitable company, earning 16. 7% net margin versus 9. 1% for Oppenheimer Holdings Inc. — meaning it keeps 16. 7% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: OPY leads at 22. 4% versus 13. 8% for SF. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — MC leads at 99. 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.

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, Piper Sandler Companies (PIPR) is the more undervalued stock at a PEG of 0. 40x versus Oppenheimer Holdings Inc. 's 16. 34x. A PEG below 1. 0 is traditionally considered the threshold for growth-adjusted undervaluation. On forward earnings alone, Stifel Financial Corp. (SF) trades at 12. 1x forward P/E versus 114. 3x for Oppenheimer Holdings Inc. — 102. 1x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for OPY: 110. 9% to $200. 00.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

Moelis & Company (MC) offers the highest yield at 4. 1%, versus 0. 7% for Oppenheimer Holdings Inc. (OPY).

For long-horizon retirement investors, Houlihan Lokey, Inc.

(HLI) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0. 94), 1. 6% yield, +603. 4% 10Y return). Moelis & Company (MC) carries a higher beta of 1. 75 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (HLI: +603. 4%, MC: +262. 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: OPY is a small-cap deep-value stock; SF is a mid-cap deep-value stock; PIPR is a small-cap high-growth stock; MC is a small-cap high-growth stock; HLI is a mid-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.