Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Stifel Financial Corp. (SF) 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 | SF | 15.4% revenue growth vs SCHW's 1.9% |
| Value | SF | Lower P/E (7.6x vs 16.2x), PEG 0.67 vs 7.08 |
| Quality / Margins | SCHW | 22.9% net margin vs SF's 12.4% |
| Stability / Safety | SCHW | Beta 0.88 vs SF's 1.39 |
| Dividends | SF | 2.3% yield, 9-year raise streak, vs SCHW's 1.3% |
| Momentum (1Y) | SCHW | +21.1% vs SF's +7.2% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | SCHW | 232.8% ROA vs SF's 1.6%, ROIC 6.0% vs 8.4% |
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
Stifel Financial is a diversified financial services firm that operates as both a brokerage and investment bank. It generates revenue primarily from wealth management fees and commissions (~60% of revenue) and investment banking services (~30%), with the remainder from institutional trading and banking operations. The company's competitive advantage lies in its integrated model that combines retail brokerage with institutional capabilities—allowing it to serve clients across the wealth spectrum while maintaining strong regional banking relationships.
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
SF leads in 4 of 6 categories (Valuation Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). SCHW leads in 2 (Financial Metrics, Risk & Volatility).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
SCHW is the larger business by revenue, generating $26.0B annually — 4.4x SF's $5.9B. SCHW is the more profitable business, keeping 22.9% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to SF's 12.4%.
| Metric | SFStifel Financial … | SCHWThe Charles Schwa… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $5.9B | $26.0B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $913M | $12.8B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $663M | $8.9B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $1.4B | $9.7B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +82.9% | +75.4% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +15.8% | +29.6% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +12.4% | +22.9% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +7.1% | +7.9% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | — | — |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +37.3% | +41.5% |
Valuation Metrics
At 11.8x trailing earnings, SF trades at a 63% valuation discount to SCHW's 31.8x P/E. Adjusting for growth (PEG ratio), SF offers better value at 1.05x vs SCHW's 13.91x — a lower PEG means you pay less per unit of expected earnings growth.
| Metric | SFStifel Financial … | SCHWThe Charles Schwa… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $7.5B | $169.2B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $7.4B | $172.2B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 11.85x | 31.84x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 7.60x | 16.22x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | 1.05x | 13.91x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 7.28x | 18.87x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 1.28x | 6.51x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 1.45x | 3.61x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 18.07x | 82.52x |
Profitability & Efficiency
SCHW delivers a 2.9% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $3 in annual profit, vs $12 for SF. SF carries lower financial leverage with a 0.49x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to SCHW's 0.93x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), SCHW scores 7/9 vs SF's 6/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | SFStifel Financial … | SCHWThe Charles Schwa… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +11.5% | +2.9% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +1.6% | +2.3% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +8.4% | +6.0% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +11.4% | +9.5% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 6 | 7 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.49x | 0.93x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$148M | $3.1B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $2.9B | $42.1B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $2.8B | $45.1B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 0.97x | 3.05x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in SF five years ago would be worth $18,894 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $15,597 for SCHW. Over the past 12 months, SCHW leads with a +21.1% total return vs SF's +7.2%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors SF at 21.0% vs SCHW's 8.1% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | SFStifel Financial … | SCHWThe Charles Schwa… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -13.4% | -6.0% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +7.2% | +21.1% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +77.4% | +26.2% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +88.9% | +56.0% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +538.0% | +309.4% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +21.0% | +8.1% |
Risk & Volatility
SCHW is the less volatile stock with a 0.88 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than SF's 1.39 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 SF's 56.7% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | SFStifel Financial … | SCHWThe Charles Schwa… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.39x | 0.88x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $130.67 | $107.50 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $48.85 | $65.88 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +56.7% | +88.6% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 42.1 | 48.7 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 1.8M | 9.0M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates SF as "Buy" and SCHW as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 96.7% upside for SF (target: $146) vs 29.0% for SCHW (target: $123). For income investors, SF offers the higher dividend yield at 2.31% vs SCHW's 1.30%.
| Metric | SFStifel Financial … | SCHWThe Charles Schwa… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $145.67 | $122.78 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 22 | 50 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +2.3% | +1.3% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 9 | 0 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $1.71 | $1.24 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +1.9% | 0.0% |
Historical Charts
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Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Mar 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stifel Financial Co… (SF) | 100 | 321.27 | +221.3% |
| The Charles Schwab … (SCHW) | 100 | 250.52 | +150.5% |
Stifel Financial Co… (SF) returned +89% over 5 years vs The Charles Schwab … (SCHW)'s +56%. A $10,000 investment in SF 5 years ago would be worth $18,894 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stifel Financial Co… (SF) | $2.3B | $5.9B | +152.3% |
| The Charles Schwab … (SCHW) | $6.5B | $26.0B | +299.9% |
Stifel Financial Corp.'s revenue grew from $2.3B (2015) to $5.9B (2024) — a 10.8% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stifel Financial Co… (SF) | 4.0% | 12.4% | +214.0% |
| The Charles Schwab … (SCHW) | 22.3% | 22.9% | +2.7% |
Stifel Financial Corp.'s net margin went from 4% (2015) to 12% (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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stifel Financial Co… (SF) | 18.5 | 11.3 | -38.9% |
| The Charles Schwab … (SCHW) | 31.9 | 24.8 | -22.3% |
Stifel Financial Corp. has traded in a 6x–19x P/E range over 8 years; current trailing P/E is ~12x. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stifel Financial Co… (SF) | 0.79 | 6.25 | +691.1% |
| The Charles Schwab … (SCHW) | 1.03 | 2.99 | +190.3% |
Stifel Financial Corp.'s EPS grew from $0.79 (2015) to $6.25 (2024) — a 26% 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
Stifel Financial Corp. generated $417M FCF in 2024 (-39% vs 2021). The Charles Schwab Corporation generated $2B FCF in 2024 (+71% vs 2021).
SF vs SCHW: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is SF or SCHW a better buy right now?
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.
02Which has the better valuation — SF or SCHW?
On trailing P/E, Stifel Financial Corp. (SF) is the cheapest at 11.8x versus The Charles Schwab Corporation at 31.8x. On forward P/E, Stifel Financial Corp. is actually cheaper at 7.6x. The PEG ratio (P/E divided by earnings growth rate) is the most growth-adjusted single valuation metric: Stifel Financial Corp. wins at 0.67x 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 — SF or SCHW?
Over the past 5 years, Stifel Financial Corp. (SF) delivered a total return of +88.9%, compared to +56.0% for The Charles Schwab Corporation (SCHW). 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: SF returned +538.0% 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 — SF or SCHW?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), The Charles Schwab Corporation (SCHW) is the lower-risk stock at 0.88β versus Stifel Financial Corp.'s 1.39β — meaning SF is approximately 59% more volatile than SCHW relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Stifel Financial Corp. (SF) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 49% versus 93% for The Charles Schwab Corporation — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which has better profit margins — SF or SCHW?
The Charles Schwab Corporation (SCHW) is the more profitable company, earning 22.9% net margin versus 12.4% for Stifel Financial Corp. — 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 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.
06Is SF 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, Stifel Financial Corp. (SF) is the more undervalued stock at a PEG of 0.67x 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, Stifel Financial Corp. (SF) trades at 7.6x forward P/E versus 16.2x for The Charles Schwab Corporation — 8.6x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for SF: 96.7% to $145.67.
07Which pays a better dividend — SF or SCHW?
All stocks in this comparison pay dividends. Stifel Financial Corp. (SF) offers the highest yield at 2.3%, versus 1.3% for The Charles Schwab Corporation (SCHW).
08Is SF 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%, SF: +538.0%), 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 SF 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. In terms of investment character: SF is a small-cap deep-value stock; SCHW is a mid-cap quality compounder 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.
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