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

Webster Financial leads structurally, with profitability as the clearest single gap between the two profiles. Stifel Financial still has the edge on growth, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. The market setup is mixed, without a decisive signal in either direction. 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 2026-08-16

Most of the separation is still concentrated in profitability. Webster Financial Corporation leads by 16 points on the overall comparison score.

Trajectory Similarity
0.79
Similar
Peer-set rank: #12
within Stifel Financial Corp.'s functional peer set

This comparison is anchored in long-term financial trajectory similarity within the selected peer universe.

The pair sits on a clearly comparable long-term path, though it is not a near-twin match.

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

Similarity drivers
margin consistencyinvestment intensity
What reduces the match
capital structure
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
SF
Stifel Financial Corp.
47
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: Russell 1000
vs
WBS
Webster Financial Corporation
63
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: Russell 1000

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

Score differences across key dimensions.

Dimension spread: SF vs WBS Profitability 11 90 Stability 36 38 Valuation 75 84 Growth 69 15 SF WBS
Gap Ranking
#1 Profitability +79
#2 Growth +54
#3 Valuation +9
#4 Stability +2
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for SF and WBS Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer SFWBS 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 SF and WBS each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY SF Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 0 pct gap WBS Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 98th 99th
SF (98th percentile) and WBS (99th 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
Webster Financial Corporation ranks near the top of the group on profitability; Stifel Financial Corp. sits in the weaker half.
Growth
The same broad pattern appears on growth: Stifel Financial Corp. ranks near the top of the group, while Webster Financial Corporation stays in the weaker half.
Profitability — Dominant Gap
SF
11
WBS
90
Gap+79in favour of WBS

The profitability lead is mainly driven by a 29-point operating margin advantage.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Earnings growth also leans toward SF, which keeps the score lead from reading as a full growth sweep.

What this means for the comparison

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

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

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

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Other comparisons with conflicting dimension signals

Explore how SF 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.