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AFRM vs. V: Affirm vs. Visa Stock Comparison

How do Affirm (AFRM) and Visa (V) 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 Visa (V) are both classified in the Transaction & Payment Processing Services sub-industry within the broader Financial Services industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.

Company profile comparison for Affirm (AFRM) and Visa (V)
Profile ItemAFRMV
NameAffirm Holdings, Inc.Visa Inc. Class A
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorFinancialsFinancials
GICS Industry GroupFinancial ServicesFinancial Services
GICS IndustryFinancial ServicesFinancial Services
GICS Sub-IndustryTransaction & Payment Processing ServicesTransaction & Payment Processing Services
Market Capitalization23.09 billion USD788.58 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNasdaqNYSE
Listing DateJanuary 13, 2021March 19, 2008
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

AFRM
V
GSPC
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Affirm (AFRM) vs. Visa (V), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Affirm (AFRM) and Visa (V). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Affirm (AFRM) and Visa (V). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Affirm (AFRM) and Visa (V)
MetricAFRMV
Total Return (1Y)-6.89%27.50%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)40.23%21.55%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)-15.36%15.65%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

AFRM
V
GSPC
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Affirm (AFRM) vs. Visa (V), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Affirm (AFRM) and Visa (V). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Affirm (AFRM) carries a highly aggressive beta of 3.70, indicating much higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, whereas Visa (V) is closer to market-like at 0.78 — a noticeable difference in market-sensitivity profile.

Risk profile metrics for Affirm (AFRM) and Visa (V)
MetricAFRMV
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)58.20%22.99%
Beta (5Y)3.700.78
Max Drawdown (5Y)-94.35%-24.14%
Avg. Volume (3M)4.46M6.56M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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AFRM and V are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Affirm (AFRM) and Visa (V)
MetricAFRMV
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)-0.191.01
Sortino Ratio (1Y)-0.281.64

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both companies show strong equity returns, but Visa (V) at 63.51% is the standout with ROE above its industry range; Affirm (AFRM) at 44.49% also sits in the top quartile.

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%

V

Financial Services industry group

63.51%

V
63.51%
Max
44.78%
Q3
21.85%
Median
12.91%
Q1
4.48%
Min
-18.71%
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Affirm (AFRM) vs. Visa (V): A comparison of their ROE against the Financial Services industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

For every dollar of sales, both Affirm (AFRM) at 43.86% and Visa (V) at 51.20% retain more as net profit than most peers, landing in the top net margin quartile of their industries.

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%

V

Financial Services industry group

51.20%

Max
62.84%
V
51.20%
Q3
28.05%
Median
15.36%
Q1
4.82%
Min
-28.52%
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Affirm (AFRM) vs. Visa (V): A comparison of their net margin against the Financial Services industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Visa (V) at 63.73% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Affirm (AFRM) at 14.82%, which runs around its industry’s norm.

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%

V

Financial Services industry group

63.73%

Max
107.33%
V
63.73%
Q3
55.90%
Median
30.09%
Q1
14.60%
Min
-44.34%
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Affirm (AFRM) vs. Visa (V): A comparison of their operating margin against the Financial Services industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Affirm (AFRM) and Visa (V)
MetricAFRMV
ROE (TTM)44.49%63.51%
ROA (TTM)2.42%19.61%
Net Margin (TTM)43.86%51.20%
Operating Margin (TTM)14.82%63.73%
Gross Margin (TTM)----

Growth

Revenue Growth

Affirm (AFRM) at 32.15% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Visa (V) at 14.76% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for AFRM.

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Affirm (AFRM) vs. Visa (V): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Affirm (AFRM) at 3,586.67% clears its industry range for EPS growth, a much stronger earnings trajectory than Visa (V) at 20.78%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.

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Affirm (AFRM) vs. Visa (V): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Affirm (AFRM) and Visa (V)
MetricAFRMV
Revenue Growth (YoY)32.15%14.76%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)38.96%12.02%
EPS Growth (YoY)3,586.67%20.78%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)--14.16%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

current ratio doesn’t apply on either side: Affirm (AFRM) in Financial Services and Visa (V) 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 Visa (V) 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

Financial strength metrics for Affirm (AFRM) and Visa (V)
MetricAFRMV
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 Visa (V) reports a yield of 0.66%, 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%

V

Financial Services industry group

0.66%

Max
9.77%
Q3
3.92%
Median
1.09%
V
0.66%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Affirm (AFRM) vs. Visa (V): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Financial Services industry group benchmark.

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 Visa (V) reports a payout of 21.75%, 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%

V

Financial Services industry group

21.75%

Max
241.07%
Q3
97.36%
Median
25.77%
V
21.75%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Affirm (AFRM) vs. Visa (V): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Financial Services industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Affirm (AFRM) and Visa (V)
MetricAFRMV
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.00%0.66%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)0.00%21.75%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Affirm (AFRM) at 11.80 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Visa (V) at 34.31 sits in the richer quartile — V 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

V

Financial Services industry group

34.31

Max
45.85
V
34.31
Q3
24.64
Median
15.37
Q1
9.68
Min
0.16
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Affirm (AFRM) vs. Visa (V): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Financial Services industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Both look expensive on sales: Affirm (AFRM) at 5.03 sits in the upper P/S ratio quartile, and Visa (V) at 17.18 prices even higher, above its industry range.

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

V

Financial Services industry group

17.18

V
17.18
Max
9.23
Q3
4.57
Median
2.72
Q1
1.28
Min
-0.55
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Affirm (AFRM) vs. Visa (V): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Financial Services industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Both look rich against book: Affirm (AFRM) at 4.01 sits in the upper P/B ratio quartile, and Visa (V) at 22.05 prices even higher, above its industry range.

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

V

Financial Services industry group

22.05

V
22.05
Max
7.79
Q3
3.63
Median
1.57
Q1
0.81
Min
-0.39
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Affirm (AFRM) vs. Visa (V): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Financial Services industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Affirm (AFRM) and Visa (V)
MetricAFRMV
P/E Ratio (TTM)11.8034.31
P/S Ratio (TTM)5.0317.18
P/B Ratio (MRQ)4.0122.05
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)----