SCHW vs. VIRT: Charles Schwab vs. Virtu Financial Stock Comparison
How do Charles Schwab (SCHW) 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
Charles Schwab (SCHW) and Virtu Financial (VIRT) are both classified in the Investment Banking & Brokerage sub-industry within the broader Capital Markets industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.
| Profile Item | SCHW | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| Name | The Charles Schwab Corporation | 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 | Capital Markets | Capital Markets |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Investment Banking & Brokerage | Investment Banking & Brokerage |
| Market Capitalization | 158.22 billion USD | 11.67 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | September 22, 1987 | April 16, 2015 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | SCHW | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | -0.80% | 57.98% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 21.35% | 51.24% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 4.31% | 19.25% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | SCHW | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 26.01% | 37.43% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.74 | 0.69 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -49.70% | -54.52% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 8.22M | 1.26M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | SCHW | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.20 | 1.43 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -0.26 | 2.27 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 57.03% clears its industry range for ROE, a sharper capital-efficiency signal than Charles Schwab (SCHW) at 21.12%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.
SCHW
Financial Services industry group
21.12%
- Max
- 44.78%
- Q3
- 21.85%
- SCHW
- 21.12%
- 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)
Charles Schwab (SCHW) at 39.33% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 17.96%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.
SCHW
Financial Services industry group
39.33%
- Max
- 62.84%
- SCHW
- 39.33%
- 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 Charles Schwab (SCHW) at 52.67% and Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 36.32% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.
SCHW
Financial Services industry group
52.67%
- Max
- 107.33%
- Q3
- 55.90%
- SCHW
- 52.67%
- Median
- 30.09%
- 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 | SCHW | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 21.12% | 57.03% |
| ROA (TTM) | 2.16% | 5.01% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 39.33% | 17.96% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 52.67% | 36.32% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both Charles Schwab (SCHW) at 22.01% and Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 26.25% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
EPS Growth
Both Charles Schwab (SCHW) at 55.52% and Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 72.73% sit in the top peer quartile for EPS growth, so each is compounding per-share earnings faster than typical industry peers.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | SCHW | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 22.01% | 26.25% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 4.83% | 15.38% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 55.52% | 72.73% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 9.93% | 28.11% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
current ratio doesn’t apply on either side: Charles Schwab (SCHW) 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: Charles Schwab (SCHW) 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 | SCHW | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -- | -- |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Both Charles Schwab (SCHW) at 1.33% and Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 1.78% pay solid, industry-typical yields, sitting squarely within their peers’ usual range.
SCHW
Financial Services industry group
1.33%
- Max
- 9.77%
- Q3
- 3.92%
- SCHW
- 1.33%
- Median
- 1.09%
- 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)
Both Charles Schwab (SCHW) at 21.03% and Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 15.95% keep payout ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges — dividend policies that share earnings without consuming too much of them.
SCHW
Financial Services industry group
21.03%
- Max
- 241.07%
- Q3
- 97.36%
- Median
- 25.77%
- SCHW
- 21.03%
- 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 | SCHW | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.33% | 1.78% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 21.03% | 15.95% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 7.92 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while Charles Schwab (SCHW) at 15.64 is closer to its industry’s usual earnings multiple — a discount for VIRT, though growth and earnings durability still matter.
SCHW
Financial Services industry group
15.64
- Max
- 45.85
- Q3
- 24.64
- SCHW
- 15.64
- Median
- 15.37
- 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 Charles Schwab (SCHW) at 5.85 sits in the pricier quartile — SCHW costs more per dollar of sales.
SCHW
Financial Services industry group
5.85
- Max
- 9.23
- SCHW
- 5.85
- 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)
On P/B ratio, both Charles Schwab (SCHW) at 3.08 and Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 1.92 are valued close to their industries’ norm against book — neither stands out from peers.
SCHW
Financial Services industry group
3.08
- Max
- 7.79
- Q3
- 3.63
- SCHW
- 3.08
- 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 | SCHW | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 15.64 | 7.92 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 5.85 | 3.35 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 3.08 | 1.92 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | -- |