SAMG vs MS vs GS vs RJF

For growth investors, The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.

(GS) is the stronger pick with 17. 0% revenue growth year-over-year, versus 1. 3% for Silvercrest Asset Management Group Inc. (SAMG). Raymond James Financial, Inc. (RJF) offers the better valuation at 14. 9x trailing P/E (12. 9x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Silvercrest Asset Management Group Inc. (SAMG) a "Buy" — based on 3 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, Raymond James Financial, Inc.

(RJF) is the cheapest at 14. 9x versus Silvercrest Asset Management Group Inc. at 24. 5x. On forward P/E, Silvercrest Asset Management Group Inc. is actually cheaper at 11. 9x — 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: Raymond James Financial, Inc. wins at 0. 60x versus Morgan Stanley's 1. 80x — a PEG below 1. 0 traditionally signals the market is underpricing earnings growth.

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

(GS) delivered a total return of +164. 4%, compared to +20. 6% for Silvercrest Asset Management Group Inc. (SAMG). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: MS returned +732. 3% versus SAMG's +61. 1%. 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), Silvercrest Asset Management Group Inc.

(SAMG) is the lower-risk stock at 0. 83β versus The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. 's 1. 47β — meaning GS is approximately 77% more volatile than SAMG relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Silvercrest Asset Management Group Inc. (SAMG) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 28% versus 5% for The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. — 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 1. 3% for Silvercrest Asset Management Group Inc. (SAMG). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. grew EPS 77. 3% year-over-year, compared to -44. 0% for Silvercrest Asset Management Group 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.

Raymond James Financial, Inc.

(RJF) is the more profitable company, earning 13. 4% net margin versus 11. 2% for Silvercrest Asset Management Group Inc. — meaning it keeps 13. 4% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: RJF leads at 28. 7% versus 7. 4% for SAMG. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — RJF leads at 88. 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, Raymond James Financial, Inc. (RJF) is the more undervalued stock at a PEG of 0. 60x versus Morgan Stanley's 1. 80x. A PEG below 1. 0 is traditionally considered the threshold for growth-adjusted undervaluation. On forward earnings alone, Silvercrest Asset Management Group Inc. (SAMG) trades at 11. 9x forward P/E versus 16. 0x for Morgan Stanley — 4. 1x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for RJF: 10. 1% to $169. 00.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

Silvercrest Asset Management Group Inc. (SAMG) offers the highest yield at 5. 9%, versus 1. 3% for Raymond James Financial, Inc. (RJF).

For long-horizon retirement investors, Raymond James Financial, Inc.

(RJF) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 1. 05), 1. 3% yield, +394. 5% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (RJF: +394. 5%, GS: +534. 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.

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: SAMG is a small-cap income-oriented stock; MS is a large-cap high-growth stock; GS is a large-cap high-growth stock; RJF is a mid-cap deep-value 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.