C vs. SF: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated on October 3, 2025

Here’s a clear look at C and SF, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Profile

Symbol	C	SF
Company Name	Citigroup Inc.	Stifel Financial Corp.
Country	United States	United States
GICS Sector	Financials	Financials
GICS Industry	Banks	Capital Markets
Market Capitalization	185.15 billion USD	11.72 billion USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	January 3, 1977	July 19, 1983
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of C and SF by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period. Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.

C vs. SF: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Historical Performance at a Glance

Symbol	C	SF
5-Day Price Return	-3.33%	-0.10%
13-Week Price Return	14.42%	6.22%
26-Week Price Return	37.38%	15.18%
52-Week Price Return	57.68%	19.07%
Month-to-Date Return	-2.75%	-1.46%
Year-to-Date Return	40.23%	5.40%
10-Day Avg. Volume	14.08M	0.98M
3-Month Avg. Volume	13.98M	0.72M
3-Month Volatility	22.69%	22.42%
Beta	1.22	1.17

Profitability

Return on Equity (TTM)

C

6.72%

Banks Industry

Max: 25.40%
Q3: 15.55%
Median: 12.00%
Q1: 8.98%
Min: -0.10%

C’s Return on Equity of 6.72% is in the lower quartile for the Banks industry. This indicates a less efficient generation of profit from its equity base when compared to its competitors.

SF

10.91%

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 38.97%
Q3: 22.24%
Median: 13.52%
Q1: 8.61%
Min: -4.25%

SF’s Return on Equity of 10.91% is on par with the norm for the Capital Markets industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.

C vs. SF: A comparison of their Return on Equity (TTM) against their respective Banks and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin (TTM)

C

17.37%

Banks Industry

Max: 54.20%
Q3: 35.73%
Median: 28.97%
Q1: 22.56%
Min: 6.98%

Falling into the lower quartile for the Banks industry, C’s Net Profit Margin of 17.37% indicates weaker profitability. This means the company retains a smaller portion of each dollar in sales as profit compared to its competitors.

SF

10.13%

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 69.91%
Q3: 37.24%
Median: 24.30%
Q1: 13.06%
Min: -15.18%

Falling into the lower quartile for the Capital Markets industry, SF’s Net Profit Margin of 10.13% indicates weaker profitability. This means the company retains a smaller portion of each dollar in sales as profit compared to its competitors.

C vs. SF: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Banks and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin (TTM)

C

23.02%

Banks Industry

Max: 63.35%
Q3: 44.73%
Median: 37.24%
Q1: 28.25%
Min: 12.28%

C’s Operating Profit Margin of 23.02% is in the lower quartile for the Banks industry. This indicates weaker profitability from core operations, which may stem from inefficiencies or competitive pressures on pricing.

SF

12.61%

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 84.86%
Q3: 47.16%
Median: 32.23%
Q1: 18.65%
Min: -21.87%

SF’s Operating Profit Margin of 12.61% is in the lower quartile for the Capital Markets industry. This indicates weaker profitability from core operations, which may stem from inefficiencies or competitive pressures on pricing.

C vs. SF: A comparison of their Operating Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Banks and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	C	SF
Return on Equity (TTM)	6.72%	10.91%
Return on Assets (TTM)	0.57%	1.54%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	17.37%	10.13%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	23.02%	12.61%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	--	98.89%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

C

Banks Industry

Max: --
Q3: --
Median: --
Q1: --
Min: --

For the Banks industry, the Current Ratio is often not the most suitable measure of short-term liquidity.

SF

0.10

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 3.37
Q3: 1.81
Median: 1.01
Q1: 0.56
Min: 0.04

For the Capital Markets industry, the Current Ratio is often not the most suitable measure of short-term liquidity.

C vs. SF: A comparison of their Current Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Banks and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)

C

3.38

Banks Industry

Max: 5.78
Q3: 2.66
Median: 1.05
Q1: 0.40
Min: 0.00

The Debt-to-Equity Ratio is often not the primary focus for assessing leverage in the Banks industry.

SF

5.52

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 6.52
Q3: 2.79
Median: 0.96
Q1: 0.28
Min: 0.00

The Debt-to-Equity Ratio is often not the primary focus for assessing leverage in the Capital Markets industry.

C vs. SF: A comparison of their Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Banks and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)

C

Banks Industry

Max: --
Q3: --
Median: --
Q1: --
Min: --

The Interest Coverage Ratio is often not a primary indicator of debt servicing capacity in the Banks industry.

SF

2.08

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 107.59
Q3: 48.41
Median: 10.85
Q1: 4.56
Min: -36.26

The Interest Coverage Ratio is often not a primary indicator of debt servicing capacity in the Capital Markets industry.

C vs. SF: A comparison of their Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) against their respective Banks and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	C	SF
Current Ratio (MRQ)	--	0.10
Quick Ratio (MRQ)	--	0.10
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)	3.38	5.52
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	--	2.08

Growth

Revenue Growth

C vs. SF: A side-by-side comparison of their Revenue Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

EPS Growth

C vs. SF: A side-by-side comparison of their EPS Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

Dividend

Dividend Yield (TTM)

C

2.92%

Banks Industry

Max: 11.03%
Q3: 6.00%
Median: 3.87%
Q1: 2.41%
Min: 0.00%

C’s Dividend Yield of 2.92% is consistent with its peers in the Banks industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

SF

2.11%

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 9.02%
Q3: 4.54%
Median: 2.55%
Q1: 1.27%
Min: 0.00%

SF’s Dividend Yield of 2.11% is consistent with its peers in the Capital Markets industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

C vs. SF: A comparison of their Dividend Yield (TTM) against their respective Banks and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

C

37.43%

Banks Industry

Max: 134.24%
Q3: 79.39%
Median: 55.09%
Q1: 36.09%
Min: 0.00%

C’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 37.43% is within the typical range for the Banks industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

SF

39.56%

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 199.38%
Q3: 99.28%
Median: 60.67%
Q1: 32.00%
Min: 0.00%

SF’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 39.56% is within the typical range for the Capital Markets industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

C vs. SF: A comparison of their Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) against their respective Banks and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	C	SF
Dividend Yield (TTM)	2.92%	2.11%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	37.43%	39.56%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)

C

12.83

Banks Industry

Max: 22.69
Q3: 13.75
Median: 10.32
Q1: 7.73
Min: 2.59

C’s P/E Ratio of 12.83 is within the middle range for the Banks industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.

SF

18.77

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 51.69
Q3: 29.42
Median: 17.58
Q1: 12.55
Min: 5.59

SF’s P/E Ratio of 18.77 is within the middle range for the Capital Markets industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.

C vs. SF: A comparison of their Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) against their respective Banks and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)

C

1.10

Banks Industry

Max: 4.90
Q3: 2.98
Median: 2.24
Q1: 1.59
Min: 0.45

The P/S Ratio is often not a primary valuation tool in the Banks industry.

SF

1.90

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 14.65
Q3: 7.29
Median: 4.53
Q1: 2.26
Min: 0.04

In the lower quartile for the Capital Markets industry, SF’s P/S Ratio of 1.90 indicates its revenue is valued more conservatively than most of its peers. This could present a compelling opportunity if the market has overlooked its sales-generating capabilities.

C vs. SF: A comparison of their Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) against their respective Banks and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)

C

0.73

Banks Industry

Max: 2.09
Q3: 1.40
Median: 1.11
Q1: 0.86
Min: 0.29

C’s P/B Ratio of 0.73 is in the lower quartile for the Banks industry. From a value investing perspective, this is favorable, as it suggests the stock is trading at a discount to its net asset value and may offer a greater margin of safety.

SF

1.91

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 10.83
Q3: 5.12
Median: 2.66
Q1: 1.19
Min: 0.37

SF’s P/B Ratio of 1.91 is within the conventional range for the Capital Markets industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.

C vs. SF: A comparison of their Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Banks and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	C	SF
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)	12.83	18.77
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)	1.10	1.90
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)	0.73	1.91
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM)	7.87	7.87