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Key vs Webster Financial: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

Webster Financial leads structurally, with profitability as the clearest single gap between the two profiles. KeyCorp still has the edge on growth, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. The market setup is broadly comparable for both — no clear directional signal from price behavior. The market is not adding a decisive signal either way — the structural read carries the weight.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels. Both peer scores are relative to the Russell 1000 universe, making them directly comparable.

Updated 2026-05-17

Most of the separation is still concentrated in profitability. Webster Financial Corporation leads by 22 points on the overall comparison score.

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Banks - Regional

This comparison is based on industry proximity, not on functional trajectory similarity. KEY and WBS share the same industry classification.

For a similarity-based comparison, see how KeyCorp and Webster Financial each position within their functional peer groups in AssetNext.

Peer-Relative Score
KEY
KeyCorp
43
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: Russell 1000
vs
WBS
Webster Financial Corporation
65
Peer-Score
Signal qualityLow
Peer basis: Russell 1000

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: KEY vs WBS Profitability 12 90 Stability 31 35 Valuation 80 82 Growth 45 30 KEY WBS
Gap Ranking
#1 Profitability +78
#2 Growth +15
#3 Stability +4
#4 Valuation +2
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for KEY and WBS Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer KEYWBS Relative valuation Structural strength

Neither company combines the stronger profile with the cheaper valuation.

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

Entry today — historical context

Where KEY and WBS each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY KEY Elevated · near norm 0th 50th 100th 4 pct gap WBS Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 95th 98th
KEY (95th percentile) and WBS (98th percentile) both sit in the upper portion of their own 5-year ranges. The historical entry context is broadly similar for both. This reflects entry timing, not which company is structurally stronger.

Describes historical entry positioning only. Descriptive — not investment advice.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Profitability
On profitability, Webster Financial Corporation ranks near the top of the group; KeyCorp sits in the weaker half.
Growth
Growth also leans toward KeyCorp, reinforcing the broader structural lead.
Profitability — Dominant Gap
KEY
12
WBS
90
Gap+78in favour of WBS

The profitability lead is mainly driven by a 13.7-point operating margin advantage.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Stability is the one area where KeyCorp still pushes back materially — it is the steadier name on this dimension, which keeps the result from reading as one-way.

What this means for the comparison

The profitability edge is decisive, even though current pricing and growth still lean somewhat toward KeyCorp.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

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

Explore full breakdown →
Similar profitability-driven comparisons

Explore how KEY and WBS 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.

Because scores are peer-relative, the same company can have slightly different scores in different index universes. On comparison pages, both companies are shown within their shared peer universe wherever possible — so the scores are directly comparable. The peer basis is stated on each score card.

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.