Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare PJT Partners Inc. (PJT) vs The Charles Schwab Corporation (SCHW) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | PJT | 29.5% revenue growth vs SCHW's 1.9% |
| Value | PJT | PEG 0.58 vs 7.08 |
| Quality / Margins | SCHW | 22.9% net margin vs PJT's 9.0% |
| Stability / Safety | SCHW | Beta 0.88 vs PJT's 1.00 |
| Dividends | SCHW | 1.3% yield, vs PJT's 0.4% |
| Momentum (1Y) | SCHW | +21.1% vs PJT's -6.6% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | SCHW | 232.8% ROA vs PJT's 10.4%, ROIC 6.0% vs 18.6% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Valuation efficiency (growth/$)
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
PJT Partners is a boutique investment bank that provides strategic advisory services for mergers, restructurings, and capital markets transactions. It generates revenue primarily from advisory fees — roughly 60% from strategic advisory (M&A and activism defense) and 40% from restructuring and capital markets work — with performance-based success fees on large deals. The firm's moat lies in its elite reputation for handling complex, high-stakes situations and its senior banker-led approach that attracts premium clients.
Charles Schwab is a major financial services firm that operates as a discount brokerage, wealth manager, and bank for individual investors and financial advisors. It generates revenue primarily from net interest income on client cash balances (roughly 50%), asset management fees on its proprietary funds and advisory services, and trading commissions. The company's key competitive advantage is its massive scale in client assets—over $8 trillion—which creates a powerful network effect and allows it to offer low-cost services while maintaining profitability.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
SCHW leads in 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Risk & Volatility). PJT leads in 3 (Valuation Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
SCHW is the larger business by revenue, generating $26.0B annually — 17.4x PJT's $1.5B. SCHW is the more profitable business, keeping 22.9% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to PJT's 9.0%.
| Metric | PJTPJT Partners Inc. | SCHWThe Charles Schwa… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $1.5B | $26.0B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $410M | $12.8B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $178M | $8.9B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $537M | $9.7B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +30.9% | +75.4% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +20.3% | +29.6% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +9.0% | +22.9% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +35.3% | +7.9% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | — | — |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +86.1% | +41.5% |
Valuation Metrics
At 30.0x trailing earnings, PJT trades at a 6% valuation discount to SCHW's 31.8x P/E. Adjusting for growth (PEG ratio), PJT offers better value at 0.93x vs SCHW's 13.91x — a lower PEG means you pay less per unit of expected earnings growth.
| Metric | PJTPJT Partners Inc. | SCHWThe Charles Schwa… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $19,198 | $169.2B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | -$129M | $172.2B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 30.02x | 31.84x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 18.93x | 16.22x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | 0.93x | 13.91x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | -0.39x | 18.87x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.00x | 6.51x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 7.22x | 3.61x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 0.00x | 82.52x |
Profitability & Efficiency
SCHW delivers a 2.9% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $3 in annual profit, vs $19 for PJT. PJT carries lower financial leverage with a 0.39x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to SCHW's 0.93x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), PJT scores 8/9 vs SCHW's 7/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | PJTPJT Partners Inc. | SCHWThe Charles Schwa… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +19.1% | +2.9% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +10.4% | +2.3% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +18.6% | +6.0% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +20.7% | +9.5% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 8 | 7 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.39x | 0.93x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$129M | $3.1B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $484M | $42.1B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $355M | $45.1B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | — | 3.05x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in PJT five years ago would be worth $21,454 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $15,597 for SCHW. Over the past 12 months, SCHW leads with a +21.1% total return vs PJT's -6.6%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors PJT at 24.1% vs SCHW's 8.1% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | PJTPJT Partners Inc. | SCHWThe Charles Schwa… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -12.9% | -6.0% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -6.6% | +21.1% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +91.0% | +26.2% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +114.5% | +56.0% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +460.3% | +309.4% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +24.1% | +8.1% |
Risk & Volatility
SCHW is the less volatile stock with a 0.88 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than PJT's 1.00 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. SCHW currently trades 88.6% from its 52-week high vs PJT's 75.5% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | PJTPJT Partners Inc. | SCHWThe Charles Schwa… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.00x | 0.88x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $195.62 | $107.50 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $119.76 | $65.88 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +75.5% | +88.6% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 35.3 | 48.7 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 244K | 9.0M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates PJT as "Hold" and SCHW as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 29.0% upside for SCHW (target: $123) vs 15.8% for PJT (target: $171). For income investors, SCHW offers the higher dividend yield at 1.30% vs PJT's 0.37%.
| Metric | PJTPJT Partners Inc. | SCHWThe Charles Schwa… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $171.00 | $122.78 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 12 | 50 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +0.4% | +1.3% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 0 | 0 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $0.55 | $1.24 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +100.0% | 0.0% |
Historical Charts
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Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Mar 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| PJT Partners Inc. (PJT) | 100 | 375.97 | +276.0% |
| The Charles Schwab … (SCHW) | 100 | 250.52 | +150.5% |
PJT Partners Inc. (PJT) returned +115% over 5 years vs The Charles Schwab … (SCHW)'s +56%. A $10,000 investment in PJT 5 years ago would be worth $21,454 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| PJT Partners Inc. (PJT) | $406M | $1.5B | +267.8% |
| The Charles Schwab … (SCHW) | $6.5B | $26.0B | +299.9% |
PJT Partners Inc.'s revenue grew from $406M (2015) to $1.5B (2024) — a 15.6% CAGR. The Charles Schwab Corporation's revenue grew from $6.5B (2015) to $26.0B (2024) — a 16.7% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| PJT Partners Inc. (PJT) | 1.9% | 9.0% | +382.3% |
| The Charles Schwab … (SCHW) | 22.3% | 22.9% | +2.7% |
PJT Partners Inc.'s net margin went from 2% (2015) to 9% (2024). The Charles Schwab Corporation's net margin went from 22% (2015) to 23% (2024).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 8 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| PJT Partners Inc. (PJT) | 33.4 | 32.1 | -3.9% |
| The Charles Schwab … (SCHW) | 31.9 | 24.8 | -22.3% |
PJT Partners Inc. has traded in a 17x–37x P/E range over 7 years; current trailing P/E is ~30x. The Charles Schwab Corporation has traded in a 17x–32x P/E range over 8 years; current trailing P/E is ~32x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| PJT Partners Inc. (PJT) | 0.41 | 4.92 | +1100.0% |
| The Charles Schwab … (SCHW) | 1.03 | 2.99 | +190.3% |
PJT Partners Inc.'s EPS grew from $0.41 (2015) to $4.92 (2024) — a 32% CAGR. The Charles Schwab Corporation's EPS grew from $1.03 (2015) to $2.99 (2024) — a 13% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
PJT Partners Inc. generated $528M FCF in 2024 (+348% vs 2021). The Charles Schwab Corporation generated $2B FCF in 2024 (+71% vs 2021).
PJT vs SCHW: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is PJT or SCHW a better buy right now?
PJT Partners Inc. (PJT) offers the better valuation at 30.0x trailing P/E (18.9x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate The Charles Schwab Corporation (SCHW) a "Buy" — based on 50 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.
02Which has the better valuation — PJT or SCHW?
On trailing P/E, PJT Partners Inc. (PJT) is the cheapest at 30.0x versus The Charles Schwab Corporation at 31.8x. On forward P/E, The Charles Schwab Corporation is actually cheaper at 16.2x — 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: PJT Partners Inc. wins at 0.58x versus The Charles Schwab Corporation's 7.08x — a PEG below 1.0 traditionally signals the market is underpricing earnings growth.
03Which is the better long-term investment — PJT or SCHW?
Over the past 5 years, PJT Partners Inc. (PJT) delivered a total return of +114.5%, compared to +56.0% for The Charles Schwab Corporation (SCHW). A $10,000 investment in PJT five years ago would be worth approximately $21K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: PJT returned +460.3% versus SCHW's +309.4%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
04Which is safer — PJT or SCHW?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), The Charles Schwab Corporation (SCHW) is the lower-risk stock at 0.88β versus PJT Partners Inc.'s 1.00β — meaning PJT is approximately 13% more volatile than SCHW relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, PJT Partners Inc. (PJT) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 39% versus 93% for The Charles Schwab Corporation — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which has better profit margins — PJT or SCHW?
The Charles Schwab Corporation (SCHW) is the more profitable company, earning 22.9% net margin versus 9.0% for PJT Partners Inc. — meaning it keeps 22.9% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: SCHW leads at 29.6% versus 20.3% for PJT. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — SCHW leads at 75.4%, 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.
06Is PJT or SCHW more undervalued right now?
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, PJT Partners Inc. (PJT) is the more undervalued stock at a PEG of 0.58x versus The Charles Schwab Corporation's 7.08x. A PEG below 1.0 is traditionally considered the threshold for growth-adjusted undervaluation. On forward earnings alone, The Charles Schwab Corporation (SCHW) trades at 16.2x forward P/E versus 18.9x for PJT Partners Inc. — 2.7x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for SCHW: 29.0% to $122.78.
07Which pays a better dividend — PJT or SCHW?
All stocks in this comparison pay dividends. The Charles Schwab Corporation (SCHW) offers the highest yield at 1.3%, versus 0.4% for PJT Partners Inc. (PJT).
08Is PJT or SCHW better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, The Charles Schwab Corporation (SCHW) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.88), 1.3% yield, +309.4% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (SCHW: +309.4%, PJT: +460.3%), 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.
09What are the main differences between PJT and SCHW?
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. SCHW pays a dividend while PJT does 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.
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