SFNC vs. WAL

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

SFNC (Simmons First National Corporation) and WAL (Western Alliance Bancorporation) are both stocks. Both operate in the Banks - Regional industry within the Financial Services sector. Over the past 10 years, SFNC returned 1.93%/yr vs 9.17%/yr for WAL. A 0.62 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined.

Performance

SFNC vs. WAL - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Simmons First National Corporation (SFNC) and Western Alliance Bancorporation (WAL). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, SFNC achieves a 11.83% return, which is significantly higher than WAL's -6.57% return. Over the past 10 years, SFNC has underperformed WAL with an annualized return of 1.93%, while WAL has yielded a comparatively higher 9.17% annualized return.

SFNC

• 1D: -2.57%
• 1M: -1.33%
• YTD: 11.83%
• 6M: 13.23%
• 1Y: 15.53%
• 3Y*: 9.92%
• 5Y*: -3.99%
• 10Y*: 1.93%

WAL

• 1D: -3.05%
• 1M: -2.08%
• YTD: -6.57%
• 6M: -7.49%
• 1Y: 8.33%
• 3Y*: 29.77%
• 5Y*: -3.29%
• 10Y*: 9.17%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

SFNC vs. WAL - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
SFNC Simmons First National Corporation	11.83%	-11.27%	16.70%	-3.96%	-24.62%	40.32%	-16.10%	13.90%	-13.77%	-6.44%
WAL Western Alliance Bancorporation	-6.57%	2.55%	29.67%	14.12%	-43.68%	81.72%	7.77%	45.90%	-30.25%	16.24%

Correlation

The correlation between SFNC and WAL is 0.71, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.71
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.77
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.73
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.76
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jul 5, 2005	0.62

The correlation between SFNC and WAL shifts across timeframes, from 0.62 (all time) to 0.77 (3 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Fundamentals

EPS SFNC : -$3.51 WAL : $11.59
PS Ratio SFNC : 3.78 WAL : 1.21
Total Revenue (TTM) SFNC : $568.83M WAL : $5.28B
Gross Profit (TTM) SFNC : -$152.21M WAL : $2.51B
EBITDA (TTM) SFNC : -$492.97M WAL : $1.03B

Return for Risk

SFNC vs. WAL — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

SFNC

SFNC Risk / Return Rank: 58
SFNC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 61
SFNC Sortino Ratio Rank: 54
SFNC Omega Ratio Rank: 54
SFNC Calmar Ratio Rank: 60
SFNC Martin Ratio Rank: 60

WAL

WAL Risk / Return Rank: 46
WAL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 49
WAL Sortino Ratio Rank: 42
WAL Omega Ratio Rank: 43
WAL Calmar Ratio Rank: 47
WAL Martin Ratio Rank: 48

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

SFNC vs. WAL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Simmons First National Corporation (SFNC) and Western Alliance Bancorporation (WAL). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	SFNC	WAL	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.59	0.22	+0.36
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	1.01	0.54	+0.47
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.13	1.07	+0.06
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.89	0.28	+0.61
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	2.03	0.66	+1.38
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

SFNC vs. WAL - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SFNC Sharpe Ratio is 0.59, which is higher than the WAL Sharpe Ratio of 0.22. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SFNC and WAL, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	SFNC	WAL	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.59	0.22	+0.36
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.13	-0.05	-0.07
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.06	0.18	-0.12
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.24	0.11	+0.13

Drawdowns

SFNC vs. WAL - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SFNC drawdown since its inception was -63.88%, smaller than the maximum WAL drawdown of -92.14%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SFNC and WAL.

Drawdown Indicators

	SFNC	WAL	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-63.88%	-92.14%	+28.26%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-17.58%	-30.26%	+12.68%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-30.55%	-35.98%	+5.43%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-53.40%	-84.79%	+31.39%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-54.17%	-84.79%	+30.62%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-23.25%	-29.78%	+6.53%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-18.69%	-38.51%	+19.82%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	7.66%	12.73%	-5.07%

Volatility

SFNC vs. WAL - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Simmons First National Corporation (SFNC) is 6.26%, while Western Alliance Bancorporation (WAL) has a volatility of 10.54%. This indicates that SFNC experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than WAL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	SFNC	WAL	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.26%	10.54%	-4.28%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	19.93%	26.82%	-6.89%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	26.69%	37.52%	-10.83%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	31.04%	60.28%	-29.24%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	34.04%	52.30%	-18.26%

Dividends

SFNC vs. WAL - Dividend Comparison

SFNC's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.09%, more than WAL's 2.11% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
SFNC Simmons First National Corporation	4.09%	4.51%	3.79%	4.03%	3.52%	2.43%	3.15%	2.39%	2.49%	1.75%	1.54%	1.79%
WAL Western Alliance Bancorporation	2.11%	1.86%	1.78%	2.20%	2.38%	1.11%	1.67%	0.88%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Financials

SFNC vs. WAL - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Simmons First National Corporation and Western Alliance Bancorporation over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

SFNC - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Simmons First National Corporation reported a gross profit of 0.00 and revenue of 301.81M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 0.0%.

WAL - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Western Alliance Bancorporation reported a gross profit of 0.00 and revenue of 1.19B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 0.0%.

SFNC - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Simmons First National Corporation reported an operating income of 0.00 and revenue of 301.81M, resulting in an operating margin of 0.0%.

WAL - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Western Alliance Bancorporation reported an operating income of 0.00 and revenue of 1.19B, resulting in an operating margin of 0.0%.

SFNC - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Simmons First National Corporation reported a net income of 68.54M and revenue of 301.81M, resulting in a net margin of 22.7%.

WAL - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Western Alliance Bancorporation reported a net income of 182.10M and revenue of 1.19B, resulting in a net margin of 15.3%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both SFNC and WAL in my portfolio?

SFNC and WAL have a correlation of 0.71, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, SFNC or WAL?

WAL has higher volatility (10.54%) compared to SFNC (6.26%). In terms of maximum drawdown, SFNC dropped -63.88% vs WAL's -92.14%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

SFNC currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.59 vs 0.22), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.