AFRM vs. VIRT: Affirm vs. Virtu Financial Stock Comparison
How do Affirm (AFRM) and Virtu Financial (VIRT) 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 Virtu Financial (VIRT) both fall under the Financial Services industry group, but AFRM is classified in Financial Services while VIRT is classified in Capital Markets.
| Profile Item | AFRM | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Affirm Holdings, Inc. | Virtu Financial Inc. Class A Common Stock |
| 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 | Investment Banking & Brokerage |
| Market Capitalization | 23.09 billion USD | 11.67 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | NYSE |
| Listing Date | January 13, 2021 | April 16, 2015 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | AFRM | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | -6.89% | 57.98% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 40.23% | 51.24% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | -15.36% | 19.25% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
Affirm (AFRM) has a highly aggressive beta of 3.70, indicating much higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, while Virtu Financial (VIRT) is defensive at 0.69 and tends to be less market-sensitive — a wide gap in beta profiles.
| Metric | AFRM | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 58.20% | 37.43% |
| Beta (5Y) | 3.70 | 0.69 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -94.35% | -54.52% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 4.46M | 1.26M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | AFRM | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.19 | 1.43 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -0.28 | 2.27 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both companies show strong equity returns, but Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 57.03% 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%
VIRT
Financial Services industry group
57.03%
- VIRT
- 57.03%
- Max
- 44.78%
- Q3
- 21.85%
- Median
- 12.91%
- 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 Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 17.96%, 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%
VIRT
Financial Services industry group
17.96%
- Max
- 62.84%
- Q3
- 28.05%
- VIRT
- 17.96%
- Median
- 15.36%
- Q1
- 4.82%
- Min
- -28.52%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Affirm (AFRM) at 14.82% and Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 36.32% 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%
VIRT
Financial Services industry group
36.32%
- Max
- 107.33%
- Q3
- 55.90%
- VIRT
- 36.32%
- Median
- 30.09%
- Q1
- 14.60%
- Min
- -44.34%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | AFRM | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 44.49% | 57.03% |
| ROA (TTM) | 2.42% | 5.01% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 43.86% | 17.96% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 14.82% | 36.32% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Affirm (AFRM) at 32.15% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 26.25% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for AFRM.
EPS Growth
Both companies show strong earnings momentum, but Affirm (AFRM) at 3,586.67% is the standout with EPS growth above its industry range; Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 72.73% also sits in the top quartile.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | AFRM | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 32.15% | 26.25% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 38.96% | 15.38% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 3,586.67% | 72.73% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | 28.11% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
current ratio doesn’t apply on either side: Affirm (AFRM) in Financial Services and Virtu Financial (VIRT) 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 Virtu Financial (VIRT) 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 | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Virtu Financial (VIRT) reports a yield of 1.78%, 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%
VIRT
Financial Services industry group
1.78%
- Max
- 9.77%
- Q3
- 3.92%
- VIRT
- 1.78%
- 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 Virtu Financial (VIRT) reports a payout of 15.95%, 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%
VIRT
Financial Services industry group
15.95%
- Max
- 241.07%
- Q3
- 97.36%
- Median
- 25.77%
- VIRT
- 15.95%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | AFRM | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 1.78% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 15.95% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 7.92 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while Affirm (AFRM) at 11.80 is closer to its industry’s usual earnings multiple — a discount for VIRT, though growth and earnings durability still matter.
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
VIRT
Financial Services industry group
7.92
- Max
- 45.85
- Q3
- 24.64
- Median
- 15.37
- Q1
- 9.68
- VIRT
- 7.92
- Min
- 0.16
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 3.35 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Affirm (AFRM) at 5.03 sits in the pricier quartile — AFRM costs more per dollar of sales.
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
VIRT
Financial Services industry group
3.35
- Max
- 9.23
- Q3
- 4.57
- VIRT
- 3.35
- Median
- 2.72
- Q1
- 1.28
- Min
- -0.55
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 1.92 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
VIRT
Financial Services industry group
1.92
- Max
- 7.79
- Q3
- 3.63
- VIRT
- 1.92
- Median
- 1.57
- Q1
- 0.81
- Min
- -0.39
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | AFRM | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 11.80 | 7.92 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 5.03 | 3.35 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 4.01 | 1.92 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | -- |