SLM vs HFBL vs FICO vs TREE vs UPST

For growth investors, Upstart Holdings, Inc.

(UPST) is the stronger pick with 58. 9% revenue growth year-over-year, versus -2. 9% for Home Federal Bancorp, Inc. of Louisiana (HFBL). LendingTree, Inc. (TREE) offers the better valuation at 3. 7x trailing P/E (7. 1x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate SLM Corporation (SLM) a "Buy" — based on 25 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, LendingTree, Inc.

(TREE) is the cheapest at 3. 7x versus Upstart Holdings, Inc. at 64. 4x. On forward P/E, LendingTree, Inc. is actually cheaper at 7. 1x. The PEG ratio (P/E divided by earnings growth rate) is the most growth-adjusted single valuation metric: SLM Corporation wins at 0. 81x versus Upstart Holdings, Inc. 's 1. 02x — a PEG below 1. 0 traditionally signals the market is underpricing earnings growth.

Over the past 5 years, Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO) delivered a total return of +127.

7%, compared to -78. 7% for LendingTree, Inc. (TREE). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: FICO returned +949. 1% versus TREE's -45. 7%. 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), Home Federal Bancorp, Inc.

of Louisiana (HFBL) is the lower-risk stock at 0. 19β versus Upstart Holdings, Inc. 's 2. 96β — meaning UPST is approximately 1448% more volatile than HFBL relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Home Federal Bancorp, Inc. of Louisiana (HFBL) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 7% versus 2% for SLM Corporation — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Upstart Holdings, Inc.

(UPST) is pulling ahead at 58. 9% versus -2. 9% for Home Federal Bancorp, Inc. of Louisiana (HFBL). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: LendingTree, Inc. grew EPS 443. 3% year-over-year, compared to 7. 7% for Home Federal Bancorp, Inc. of Louisiana. 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.

Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO) is the more profitable company, earning 32.

7% net margin versus 5. 0% for Upstart Holdings, Inc. — meaning it keeps 32. 7% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: FICO leads at 46. 5% versus 5. 1% for UPST. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — UPST leads at 95. 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, SLM Corporation (SLM) is the more undervalued stock at a PEG of 0. 81x versus Upstart Holdings, Inc. 's 1. 02x. A PEG below 1. 0 is traditionally considered the threshold for growth-adjusted undervaluation. On forward earnings alone, LendingTree, Inc. (TREE) trades at 7. 1x forward P/E versus 26. 4x for Fair Isaac Corporation — 19. 3x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for TREE: 73. 2% to $69. 00.

In this comparison, SLM (14.

9% yield), HFBL (2. 7% yield) pay a dividend. FICO, TREE, UPST do not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.

For long-horizon retirement investors, Home Federal Bancorp, Inc.

of Louisiana (HFBL) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0. 19), 2. 7% yield, +109. 8% 10Y return). Upstart Holdings, Inc. (UPST) carries a higher beta of 2. 96 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (HFBL: +109. 8%, UPST: -1. 6%), 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.

These companies operate in different sectors (SLM (Financial Services) and HFBL (Financial Services) and FICO (Technology) and TREE (Financial Services) and UPST (Financial Services)), which means they face different economic cycles, regulatory environments, and macro sensitivities — making direct comparison nuanced.

In terms of investment character: SLM is a small-cap deep-value stock; HFBL is a small-cap deep-value stock; FICO is a mid-cap high-growth stock; TREE is a small-cap high-growth stock; UPST is a small-cap high-growth stock. SLM, HFBL pay a dividend while FICO, TREE, UPST do 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.