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CFG vs. WTFC: Citizens Financial vs. Wintrust Financial Stock Comparison

How do Citizens Financial (CFG) and Wintrust Financial (WTFC) 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

Citizens Financial (CFG) and Wintrust Financial (WTFC) are both classified in the Regional Banks sub-industry within the broader Banks industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.

Company profile comparison for Citizens Financial (CFG) and Wintrust Financial (WTFC)
Profile ItemCFGWTFC
NameCitizens Financial Group Inc.Wintrust Financial Corporation
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorFinancialsFinancials
GICS Industry GroupBanksBanks
GICS IndustryBanksBanks
GICS Sub-IndustryRegional BanksRegional Banks
Market Capitalization26.51 billion USD10.21 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENasdaq
Listing DateSeptember 24, 2014April 16, 1998
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

CFG
WTFC
GSPC
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Citizens Financial (CFG) vs. Wintrust Financial (WTFC), 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 Citizens Financial (CFG) and Wintrust Financial (WTFC). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Citizens Financial (CFG) and Wintrust Financial (WTFC). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Citizens Financial (CFG) and Wintrust Financial (WTFC)
MetricCFGWTFC
Total Return (1Y)30.28%21.25%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)42.95%28.56%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)10.93%13.01%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

CFG
WTFC
GSPC
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Citizens Financial (CFG) vs. Wintrust Financial (WTFC), 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 Citizens Financial (CFG) and Wintrust Financial (WTFC). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Citizens Financial (CFG) and Wintrust Financial (WTFC)
MetricCFGWTFC
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)25.87%23.68%
Beta (5Y)1.070.85
Max Drawdown (5Y)-56.19%-40.71%
Avg. Volume (3M)3.99M515.90K

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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CFG and WTFC 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 Citizens Financial (CFG) and Wintrust Financial (WTFC)
MetricCFGWTFC
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)1.000.72
Sortino Ratio (1Y)1.501.07

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Wintrust Financial (WTFC) at 12.88% is around its peer norm for ROE, while Citizens Financial (CFG) at 8.90% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker returns on shareholders’ equity.

CFG

Banks industry group

8.90%

Max
19.84%
Q3
13.67%
Median
11.49%
Q1
9.50%
CFG
8.90%
Min
3.64%

WTFC

Banks industry group

12.88%

Max
19.84%
Q3
13.67%
WTFC
12.88%
Median
11.49%
Q1
9.50%
Min
3.64%
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Citizens Financial (CFG) vs. Wintrust Financial (WTFC): A comparison of their ROE against the Banks industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Wintrust Financial (WTFC) at 32.81% keeps about the industry-typical share of revenue as profit, while Citizens Financial (CFG) at 27.02% retains only a bottom-quartile share.

CFG

Banks industry group

27.02%

Max
47.19%
Q3
35.25%
Median
31.21%
Q1
27.11%
CFG
27.02%
Min
14.93%

WTFC

Banks industry group

32.81%

Max
47.19%
Q3
35.25%
WTFC
32.81%
Median
31.21%
Q1
27.11%
Min
14.93%
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Citizens Financial (CFG) vs. Wintrust Financial (WTFC): A comparison of their net margin against the Banks industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Neither side reports a meaningful operating margin: for Citizens Financial (CFG) in Banks and Wintrust Financial (WTFC) in Banks, funding costs are part of the core business, so net margin and ROE are the cleaner profitability reads.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Citizens Financial (CFG) and Wintrust Financial (WTFC)
MetricCFGWTFC
ROE (TTM)8.90%12.88%
ROA (TTM)0.99%1.27%
Net Margin (TTM)27.02%32.81%
Operating Margin (TTM)----
Gross Margin (TTM)----

Growth

Revenue Growth

Wintrust Financial (WTFC) at 11.23% is around its peer norm for revenue growth, while Citizens Financial (CFG) at 5.61% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker demand or pricing momentum.

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Citizens Financial (CFG) vs. Wintrust Financial (WTFC): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Both Citizens Financial (CFG) at 27.39% and Wintrust Financial (WTFC) at 10.57% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

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Citizens Financial (CFG) vs. Wintrust Financial (WTFC): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Citizens Financial (CFG) and Wintrust Financial (WTFC)
MetricCFGWTFC
Revenue Growth (YoY)5.61%11.23%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)0.93%11.69%
EPS Growth (YoY)27.39%10.57%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)-1.99%12.44%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

current ratio doesn’t apply on either side: Citizens Financial (CFG) in Banks and Wintrust Financial (WTFC) in Banks 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: Citizens Financial (CFG) in Banks and Wintrust Financial (WTFC) in Banks 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 Citizens Financial (CFG) and Wintrust Financial (WTFC)
MetricCFGWTFC
Current Ratio (MRQ)----
Debt / Equity (MRQ)----
Net Debt / EBITDA----

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Both Citizens Financial (CFG) at 2.88% and Wintrust Financial (WTFC) at 1.42% pay solid, industry-typical yields, sitting squarely within their peers’ usual range.

CFG

Banks industry group

2.88%

Max
5.79%
Q3
3.18%
CFG
2.88%
Median
2.39%
Q1
1.20%
Min
0.00%

WTFC

Banks industry group

1.42%

Max
5.79%
Q3
3.18%
Median
2.39%
WTFC
1.42%
Q1
1.20%
Min
0.00%
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Citizens Financial (CFG) vs. Wintrust Financial (WTFC): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Banks industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Citizens Financial (CFG) at 37.17% keeps its payout within the industry’s typical band; Wintrust Financial (WTFC) at 16.49% pays out less than peers usually do, retaining more of its earnings — a policy difference more than a quality gap.

CFG

Banks industry group

37.17%

Max
70.75%
Q3
41.28%
CFG
37.17%
Median
29.26%
Q1
18.98%
Min
0.00%

WTFC

Banks industry group

16.49%

Max
70.75%
Q3
41.28%
Median
29.26%
Q1
18.98%
WTFC
16.49%
Min
0.00%
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Citizens Financial (CFG) vs. Wintrust Financial (WTFC): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Banks industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Citizens Financial (CFG) and Wintrust Financial (WTFC)
MetricCFGWTFC
Dividend Yield (TTM)2.88%1.42%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)37.17%16.49%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both Citizens Financial (CFG) at 12.78 and Wintrust Financial (WTFC) at 11.60 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.

CFG

Banks industry group

12.78

Max
18.16
Q3
13.75
CFG
12.78
Median
11.81
Q1
10.64
Min
6.49

WTFC

Banks industry group

11.60

Max
18.16
Q3
13.75
Median
11.81
WTFC
11.60
Q1
10.64
Min
6.49
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Citizens Financial (CFG) vs. Wintrust Financial (WTFC): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Banks industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

P/S ratio is set aside for both Citizens Financial (CFG) in Banks and Wintrust Financial (WTFC) in Banks: without a conventional revenue line, pricing per dollar of sales isn’t meaningful, and book- or earnings-based multiples make the better comparison.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

On P/B ratio, both Citizens Financial (CFG) at 1.16 and Wintrust Financial (WTFC) at 1.49 are valued close to their industries’ norm against book — neither stands out from peers.

CFG

Banks industry group

1.16

Max
2.28
Q3
1.58
Median
1.32
CFG
1.16
Q1
1.10
Min
0.59

WTFC

Banks industry group

1.49

Max
2.28
Q3
1.58
WTFC
1.49
Median
1.32
Q1
1.10
Min
0.59
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Citizens Financial (CFG) vs. Wintrust Financial (WTFC): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Banks industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Citizens Financial (CFG) and Wintrust Financial (WTFC)
MetricCFGWTFC
P/E Ratio (TTM)12.7811.60
P/S Ratio (TTM)----
P/B Ratio (MRQ)1.161.49
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)----