EQH vs. LPLA: Equitable vs. LPL Financial Stock Comparison
How do Equitable (EQH) and LPL Financial (LPLA) 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
Equitable (EQH) and LPL Financial (LPLA) both fall under the Financial Services industry group, but EQH is classified in Financial Services while LPLA is classified in Capital Markets.
| Profile Item | EQH | LPLA |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Equitable Holdings Inc. | LPL Financial Holdings 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 | Diversified Financial Services | Investment Banking & Brokerage |
| Market Capitalization | 14.04 billion USD | 23.01 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | May 10, 2018 | November 18, 2010 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | EQH | LPLA |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 26.35% | -17.27% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 32.07% | 11.10% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 12.88% | 13.92% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | EQH | LPLA |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 33.44% | 39.22% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.04 | 0.52 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -35.85% | -33.18% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 2.71M | 855.76K |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | EQH | LPLA |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.66 | -0.55 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.94 | -0.70 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both companies show strong equity returns, but Equitable (EQH) at 171.08% is the standout with ROE above its industry range; LPL Financial (LPLA) at 25.66% also sits in the top quartile.
EQH
Financial Services industry group
171.08%
- EQH
- 171.08%
- Max
- 44.78%
- Q3
- 21.85%
- Median
- 12.91%
- Q1
- 4.48%
- Min
- -18.71%
LPLA
Financial Services industry group
25.66%
- Max
- 44.78%
- LPLA
- 25.66%
- Q3
- 21.85%
- Median
- 12.91%
- Q1
- 4.48%
- Min
- -18.71%
Net Margin (TTM)
Both Equitable (EQH) at 11.52% and LPL Financial (LPLA) at 6.97% keep about the typical share of revenue as profit for their industries — neither bottom line stands out from peers.
EQH
Financial Services industry group
11.52%
- Max
- 62.84%
- Q3
- 28.05%
- Median
- 15.36%
- EQH
- 11.52%
- Q1
- 4.82%
- Min
- -28.52%
LPLA
Financial Services industry group
6.97%
- Max
- 62.84%
- Q3
- 28.05%
- Median
- 15.36%
- LPLA
- 6.97%
- Q1
- 4.82%
- Min
- -28.52%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Equitable (EQH) at 37.18% runs core operations around its industry’s norm, while LPL Financial (LPLA) at 10.85% operates in the bottom quartile.
EQH
Financial Services industry group
37.18%
- Max
- 107.33%
- Q3
- 55.90%
- EQH
- 37.18%
- Median
- 30.09%
- Q1
- 14.60%
- Min
- -44.34%
LPLA
Financial Services industry group
10.85%
- Max
- 107.33%
- Q3
- 55.90%
- Median
- 30.09%
- Q1
- 14.60%
- LPLA
- 10.85%
- Min
- -44.34%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | EQH | LPLA |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 171.08% | 25.66% |
| ROA (TTM) | 0.45% | 7.35% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 11.52% | 6.97% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 37.18% | 10.85% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
Growth
Revenue Growth
LPL Financial (LPLA) at 37.18% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Equitable (EQH) at -6.12% is in the bottom quartile, showing a clear gap in revenue momentum.
EPS Growth
LPL Financial (LPLA) at -22.17% is around its peer norm for EPS growth, while Equitable (EQH) at -227.78% falls below its industry range, a notably weak earnings reading.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | EQH | LPLA |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | -6.12% | 37.18% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | -2.65% | 25.47% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -227.78% | -22.17% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | 1.64% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
current ratio doesn’t apply on either side: Equitable (EQH) in Financial Services and LPL Financial (LPLA) 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: Equitable (EQH) in Financial Services and LPL Financial (LPLA) 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 | EQH | LPLA |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -- | -- |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Both Equitable (EQH) at 0.51% and LPL Financial (LPLA) at 0.40% pay solid, industry-typical yields, sitting squarely within their peers’ usual range.
EQH
Financial Services industry group
0.51%
- Max
- 9.77%
- Q3
- 3.92%
- Median
- 1.09%
- EQH
- 0.51%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
LPLA
Financial Services industry group
0.40%
- Max
- 9.77%
- Q3
- 3.92%
- Median
- 1.09%
- LPLA
- 0.40%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Both Equitable (EQH) at 22.49% and LPL Financial (LPLA) at 6.88% keep payout ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges — dividend policies that share earnings without consuming too much of them.
EQH
Financial Services industry group
22.49%
- Max
- 241.07%
- Q3
- 97.36%
- Median
- 25.77%
- EQH
- 22.49%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
LPLA
Financial Services industry group
6.88%
- Max
- 241.07%
- Q3
- 97.36%
- Median
- 25.77%
- LPLA
- 6.88%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | EQH | LPLA |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.51% | 0.40% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 22.49% | 6.88% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both Equitable (EQH) at 10.39 and LPL Financial (LPLA) at 16.93 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.
EQH
Financial Services industry group
10.39
- Max
- 45.85
- Q3
- 24.64
- Median
- 15.37
- EQH
- 10.39
- Q1
- 9.68
- Min
- 0.16
LPLA
Financial Services industry group
16.93
- Max
- 45.85
- Q3
- 24.64
- LPLA
- 16.93
- Median
- 15.37
- Q1
- 9.68
- Min
- 0.16
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Both Equitable (EQH) at 1.08 and LPL Financial (LPLA) at 1.15 fetch a relatively low price per dollar of sales, landing in the cheaper P/S ratio quartile of their industries.
EQH
Financial Services industry group
1.08
- Max
- 9.23
- Q3
- 4.57
- Median
- 2.72
- Q1
- 1.28
- EQH
- 1.08
- Min
- -0.55
LPLA
Financial Services industry group
1.15
- Max
- 9.23
- Q3
- 4.57
- Median
- 2.72
- Q1
- 1.28
- LPLA
- 1.15
- Min
- -0.55
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Equitable (EQH) reports a negative P/B ratio of -4.92, meaning negative book equity — the multiple itself is not meaningful for valuation. Meanwhile LPL Financial (LPLA) reports 3.98, ranking against industry peers normally.
EQH
Financial Services industry group
-4.92
- Max
- 7.79
- Q3
- 3.63
- Median
- 1.57
- Q1
- 0.81
- Min
- -0.39
- EQH
- -4.92
LPLA
Financial Services industry group
3.98
- Max
- 7.79
- LPLA
- 3.98
- Q3
- 3.63
- Median
- 1.57
- Q1
- 0.81
- Min
- -0.39
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | EQH | LPLA |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 10.39 | 16.93 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 1.08 | 1.15 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | -4.92 | 3.98 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | -- |