PFG vs. RYAN: Principal Financial vs. Ryan Specialty Stock Comparison

Company Profile

Principal Financial (PFG) and Ryan Specialty (RYAN) both belong to the Insurance industry, though PFG is classified under Life & Health Insurance while RYAN falls under Insurance Brokers.

Principal Financial (PFG) has more than two decades of public-market history since October 23, 2001, whereas Ryan Specialty (RYAN) listed on July 22, 2021 and has a much shorter record to draw on.

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

Trailing Returns

Calendar-Year Returns

Performance Metrics

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

Return Distribution

Risk Metrics

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Profitability

Ryan Specialty (RYAN) at 25.15% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Principal Financial (PFG) at 16.11% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for RYAN.

Principal Financial (PFG) at 11.89% keeps about the industry-typical share of revenue as profit, while Ryan Specialty (RYAN) at 3.27% retains only a bottom-quartile share.

Neither side reports a meaningful operating margin: for Principal Financial (PFG) in Insurance and Ryan Specialty (RYAN) in Insurance, funding costs are part of the core business, so net margin and ROE are the cleaner profitability reads.

Profitability Metrics

Growth

Ryan Specialty (RYAN) at 21.28% is around its peer norm for revenue growth, while Principal Financial (PFG) at -3.11% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker demand or pricing momentum.

Both Principal Financial (PFG) at -21.41% and Ryan Specialty (RYAN) at -33.80% post bottom-quartile EPS growth versus peers, pointing to weaker earnings momentum than typical rivals.

Growth Metrics

Financial Strength

current ratio doesn’t apply on either side: Principal Financial (PFG) in Insurance and Ryan Specialty (RYAN) in Insurance both report balance sheets without a current/non-current split, so their short-term liquidity is better judged through regulatory and funding measures.

debt-to-equity ratio is set aside for both: Principal Financial (PFG) in Insurance and Ryan Specialty (RYAN) in Insurance 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

Dividends

Principal Financial (PFG) at 2.88% delivers top-quartile income for its industry, while Ryan Specialty (RYAN) at 1.06% pays a more typical yield — both are credible income propositions, PFG the richer one.

Both Principal Financial (PFG) at 36.19% and Ryan Specialty (RYAN) at 63.75% pay out an above-typical share of earnings for their industries, leaving thinner cover if profits dip.

Dividend Metrics

Valuation

Principal Financial (PFG) at 12.35 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Ryan Specialty (RYAN) at 59.66 sits above its peer range — an unusually expensive price for RYAN’s trailing earnings.

Principal Financial (PFG) at 1.42 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Ryan Specialty (RYAN) at 3.78 sits in the pricier quartile — RYAN costs more per dollar of sales.

Principal Financial (PFG) at 2.00 sits near its industry’s typical P/B ratio, while Ryan Specialty (RYAN) at 12.86 prices above its benchmark range — RYAN looks rich relative to book.

Valuation Metrics