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Stock Comparison · Structural lead, mixed market

Capital One Financial vs Key: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

The structural profiles are close, with KeyCorp carrying a narrow edge on valuation. Capital One Financial still leads on profitability and stability, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. On the market side, KeyCorp is in better shape — its trend is intact while Capital One Financial's trend has broken down. That puts structure and market broadly in agreement — KeyCorp's lead looks more confirmed than conflicted.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels.

Updated 2026-04-05

The lead is spread across valuation and growth, rather than sitting in one isolated gap.

Trajectory Similarity
0.76
Similar
Peer-set rank: #11
within Capital One Financial Corporation's functional peer set

This pair is matched through long-term financial trajectory similarity within the selected peer universe.

This level of similarity signals a strong structural match, even though some dimensions still separate the two companies.

Most of the shared profile comes through margin consistency and investment intensity.

Similarity drivers
margin consistencyinvestment intensity
What reduces the match
revenue stability
How to read the score
0.85–1.00 · Very similar0.70–0.84 · Similar0.55–0.69 · Moderately similarbelow 0.55 · Loose match
Peer-Relative Score
COF
Capital One Financial Corporation
53
Peer-Score
Signal qualityMedium
vs
KEY
KeyCorp
54
Peer-Score
Signal qualityHigh

Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.

The largest gaps do not all point in the same direction.

Dimension spread: COF vs KEY Profitability 62 25 Stability 48 25 Valuation 32 70 Growth 75 100 COF KEY
Gap Ranking
#1 Valuation +38
#2 Profitability +37
#3 Growth +25
#4 Stability +23
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for COF and KEY Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer COFKEY Relative valuation Structural strength

Capital One Financial Corporation still looks stronger overall, though current pricing looks more supportive for KeyCorp.

Valuation position uses peer-relative PE percentile (idx_pct_pe) where available.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Valuation
On valuation, KeyCorp ranks near the top of the group; Capital One Financial Corporation sits in the weaker half.
Profitability
Capital One Financial Corporation sits in the stronger part of the group on profitability, while KeyCorp is closer to mid-pack.
Valuation — Dominant Gap
COF
32
KEY
70
Gap+38in favour of KEY

The multiple-based pricing edge comes from a trailing P/E that is 41 turns lower.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

There is still a strong counterforce in profitability, so the lead stays clear without becoming a sweep.

What this means for the comparison

The lead is built on both valuation and profitability — though profitability still provides a counterweight.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the COF vs KEY comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

Explore full breakdown →
Other comparisons with conflicting dimension signals

Explore how COF and KEY each compare against other companies in their peer groups.

Rule-based, descriptive analysis only. Derived from peer percentile dimensions. Not investment advice. Peer groups are determined algorithmically based on structural similarity — not by sector classification alone.

How AssetNext Peer Scores Work

AssetNext scores reflect each company's structural position within its functional peer group — not a ranking against all stocks simultaneously. Peers are identified by similarity across eight financial dimensions, including revenue growth trajectory, margin structure, capital intensity, and earnings stability. A score of 75 means the company ranks in the top quartile within its own peer group, not the entire market.

Four dimension scores drive the overall peer score: Growth (revenue trajectory and expansion dynamics), Quality (margin structure and capital efficiency), Valuation (peer-relative pricing on standard multiples), and Stability (earnings consistency and financial predictability). Each dimension is scored 0–100 relative to the peer group, then combined into an overall peer score using equal weighting.

Scores are recalculated periodically as underlying financial data is updated. All analysis is descriptive and rule-based — AssetNext describes structural realities and never issues buy, sell or hold recommendations.