AFRM vs. BLK: Affirm vs. BlackRock Stock Comparison
How do Affirm (AFRM) and BlackRock (BLK) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
Affirm (AFRM) and BlackRock (BLK) both fall under the Financial Services industry group, but AFRM is classified in Financial Services while BLK is classified in Capital Markets.
BlackRock (BLK) has more than two decades of public-market history since October 1, 1999, whereas Affirm (AFRM) listed on January 13, 2021 and has a much shorter record to draw on.
| Profile Item | AFRM | BLK |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Affirm Holdings, Inc. | BlackRock, Inc. |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Financials | Financials |
| GICS Industry Group | Financial Services | Financial Services |
| GICS Industry | Financial Services | Capital Markets |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Transaction & Payment Processing Services | Asset Management & Custody Banks |
| Market Capitalization | 23.09 billion USD | 182.05 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | NYSE |
| Listing Date | January 13, 2021 | October 1, 1999 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | AFRM | BLK |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | -6.89% | 15.55% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 40.23% | 26.16% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | -15.36% | 7.41% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | AFRM | BLK |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 58.20% | 28.45% |
| Beta (5Y) | 3.70 | 1.34 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -94.35% | -43.90% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 4.46M | 600.75K |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | AFRM | BLK |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.19 | 0.40 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -0.28 | 0.58 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Affirm (AFRM) at 44.49% sits in the top ROE quartile, while BlackRock (BLK) at 11.61% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for AFRM.
AFRM
Financial Services industry group
44.49%
- Max
- 44.78%
- AFRM
- 44.49%
- Q3
- 21.85%
- Median
- 12.91%
- Q1
- 4.48%
- Min
- -18.71%
BLK
Financial Services industry group
11.61%
- Max
- 44.78%
- Q3
- 21.85%
- Median
- 12.91%
- BLK
- 11.61%
- Q1
- 4.48%
- Min
- -18.71%
Net Margin (TTM)
Affirm (AFRM) at 43.86% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of BlackRock (BLK) at 24.22%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.
AFRM
Financial Services industry group
43.86%
- Max
- 62.84%
- AFRM
- 43.86%
- Q3
- 28.05%
- Median
- 15.36%
- Q1
- 4.82%
- Min
- -28.52%
BLK
Financial Services industry group
24.22%
- Max
- 62.84%
- Q3
- 28.05%
- BLK
- 24.22%
- Median
- 15.36%
- Q1
- 4.82%
- Min
- -28.52%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Affirm (AFRM) at 14.82% and BlackRock (BLK) at 37.90% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.
AFRM
Financial Services industry group
14.82%
- Max
- 107.33%
- Q3
- 55.90%
- Median
- 30.09%
- AFRM
- 14.82%
- Q1
- 14.60%
- Min
- -44.34%
BLK
Financial Services industry group
37.90%
- Max
- 107.33%
- Q3
- 55.90%
- BLK
- 37.90%
- Median
- 30.09%
- Q1
- 14.60%
- Min
- -44.34%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | AFRM | BLK |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 44.49% | 11.61% |
| ROA (TTM) | 2.42% | 3.85% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 43.86% | 24.22% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 14.82% | 37.90% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Affirm (AFRM) at 32.15% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while BlackRock (BLK) at 18.67% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for AFRM.
EPS Growth
Affirm (AFRM) at 3,586.67% clears its industry range for EPS growth, a much stronger earnings trajectory than BlackRock (BLK) at -15.95%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | AFRM | BLK |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 32.15% | 18.67% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 38.96% | 10.65% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 3,586.67% | -15.95% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | 1.30% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
current ratio doesn’t apply on either side: Affirm (AFRM) in Financial Services and BlackRock (BLK) in Financial Services both report balance sheets without a current/non-current split, so their short-term liquidity is better judged through regulatory and funding measures.
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
debt-to-equity ratio is set aside for both: Affirm (AFRM) in Financial Services and BlackRock (BLK) in Financial Services run businesses where balance-sheet leverage is part of the model, so capital-adequacy and funding measures are the better gauges of balance-sheet risk.
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | AFRM | BLK |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -- | -- |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Affirm (AFRM) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile BlackRock (BLK) reports a yield of 1.91%, ranking against industry peers normally.
AFRM
Financial Services industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 9.77%
- Q3
- 3.92%
- Median
- 1.09%
- AFRM
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
BLK
Financial Services industry group
1.91%
- Max
- 9.77%
- Q3
- 3.92%
- BLK
- 1.91%
- Median
- 1.09%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Affirm (AFRM) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile BlackRock (BLK) reports a payout of 51.00%, ranking against industry peers normally.
AFRM
Financial Services industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 241.07%
- Q3
- 97.36%
- Median
- 25.77%
- AFRM
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
BLK
Financial Services industry group
51.00%
- Max
- 241.07%
- Q3
- 97.36%
- BLK
- 51.00%
- Median
- 25.77%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | AFRM | BLK |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 1.91% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 51.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Affirm (AFRM) at 11.80 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while BlackRock (BLK) at 26.84 sits in the richer quartile — BLK needs stronger growth or earnings quality to justify the premium.
AFRM
Financial Services industry group
11.80
- Max
- 45.85
- Q3
- 24.64
- Median
- 15.37
- AFRM
- 11.80
- Q1
- 9.68
- Min
- 0.16
BLK
Financial Services industry group
26.84
- Max
- 45.85
- BLK
- 26.84
- Q3
- 24.64
- Median
- 15.37
- Q1
- 9.68
- Min
- 0.16
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Both Affirm (AFRM) at 5.03 and BlackRock (BLK) at 6.38 command a richer price per dollar of sales than most peers, sitting in the upper P/S ratio quartile of their industries.
AFRM
Financial Services industry group
5.03
- Max
- 9.23
- AFRM
- 5.03
- Q3
- 4.57
- Median
- 2.72
- Q1
- 1.28
- Min
- -0.55
BLK
Financial Services industry group
6.38
- Max
- 9.23
- BLK
- 6.38
- Q3
- 4.57
- Median
- 2.72
- Q1
- 1.28
- Min
- -0.55
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
BlackRock (BLK) at 3.14 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while Affirm (AFRM) at 4.01 carries an above-peer premium to book — AFRM is pricier on assets.
AFRM
Financial Services industry group
4.01
- Max
- 7.79
- AFRM
- 4.01
- Q3
- 3.63
- Median
- 1.57
- Q1
- 0.81
- Min
- -0.39
BLK
Financial Services industry group
3.14
- Max
- 7.79
- Q3
- 3.63
- BLK
- 3.14
- Median
- 1.57
- Q1
- 0.81
- Min
- -0.39
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | AFRM | BLK |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 11.80 | 26.84 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 5.03 | 6.38 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 4.01 | 3.14 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | -- |