Compare Stifel Financial Corp. (SF) vs Futu Holdings Limited (FUTU) Stock

Stifel Financial Corp. (SF) offers the better valuation at 11.8x trailing P/E (7.6x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Stifel Financial Corp. (SF) a "Buy" — based on 22 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, Stifel Financial Corp. (SF) is the cheapest at 11.8x versus Futu Holdings Limited at 30.0x. On forward P/E, Futu Holdings Limited is actually cheaper at 1.8x — 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: Futu Holdings Limited wins at 0.02x versus Stifel Financial Corp.'s 0.67x — a PEG below 1.0 traditionally signals the market is underpricing earnings growth.

Over the past 5 years, Stifel Financial Corp. (SF) delivered a total return of +88.9%, compared to -9.0% for Futu Holdings Limited (FUTU). A $10,000 investment in SF five years ago would be worth approximately $19K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: FUTU returned +884.3% versus SF's +538.0%. 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), Stifel Financial Corp. (SF) is the lower-risk stock at 1.39β versus Futu Holdings Limited's 1.57β — meaning FUTU is approximately 13% more volatile than SF relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Futu Holdings Limited (FUTU) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 31% versus 49% for Stifel Financial Corp. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

Futu Holdings Limited (FUTU) is the more profitable company, earning 40.1% net margin versus 12.4% for Stifel Financial Corp. — meaning it keeps 40.1% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: FUTU leads at 48.7% versus 15.8% for SF. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — SF leads at 82.9%, 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, Futu Holdings Limited (FUTU) is the more undervalued stock at a PEG of 0.02x versus Stifel Financial Corp.'s 0.67x. A PEG below 1.0 is traditionally considered the threshold for growth-adjusted undervaluation. On forward earnings alone, Futu Holdings Limited (FUTU) trades at 1.8x forward P/E versus 7.6x for Stifel Financial Corp. — 5.8x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for SF: 96.7% to $145.67.

In this comparison, SF (2.3% yield) pays a dividend. FUTU does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.

For long-horizon retirement investors, Stifel Financial Corp. (SF) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (2.3% yield, +538.0% 10Y return). Futu Holdings Limited (FUTU) carries a higher beta of 1.57 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (SF: +538.0%, FUTU: +884.3%), 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: SF is a small-cap deep-value stock; FUTU is a mid-cap quality compounder stock. SF pays a dividend while FUTU 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.