WFC vs. SF

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

WFC (Wells Fargo & Company) and SF (Stifel Financial Corp.) are both stocks. Both are in the Financial Services sector — WFC in Banks - Diversified, SF in Capital Markets. Over the past 10 years, WFC returned 7.54%/yr vs 17.01%/yr for SF. At a 0.35 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

WFC vs. SF - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) and Stifel Financial Corp. (SF). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, WFC achieves a -14.68% return, which is significantly higher than SF's -16.11% return. Over the past 10 years, WFC has underperformed SF with an annualized return of 7.54%, while SF has yielded a comparatively higher 17.01% annualized return.

WFC

• 1D: -0.96%
• 1M: -0.06%
• YTD: -14.68%
• 6M: -11.00%
• 1Y: 6.29%
• 3Y*: 27.16%
• 5Y*: 13.58%
• 10Y*: 7.54%

SF

• 1D: -0.01%
• 1M: -8.71%
• YTD: -16.11%
• 6M: -14.54%
• 1Y: 12.53%
• 3Y*: 23.41%
• 5Y*: 11.18%
• 10Y*: 17.01%

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

WFC vs. SF - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
WFC Wells Fargo & Company	-14.68%	35.57%	46.48%	22.94%	-11.92%	61.15%	-41.65%	21.44%	-21.83%	13.21%
SF Stifel Financial Corp.	-16.11%	20.07%	56.37%	21.24%	-15.57%	40.79%	26.32%	47.99%	-29.86%	19.71%

Correlation

The correlation between WFC and SF is 0.55, 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	0.55
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.61
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.66
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.66
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jul 20, 1983	0.35

Over the past year, WFC and SF have become more correlated (0.55) than their long-term average of 0.35, meaning their price movements have been converging.

Fundamentals

Market Cap WFC : $253.15B SF : $7.65B
EPS WFC : $6.73 SF : $8.03
PE Ratio WFC : 11.69 SF : 8.64
PS Ratio WFC : 2.02 SF : 1.17
PB Ratio WFC : 1.55 SF : 1.44
Total Revenue (TTM) WFC : $125.70B SF : $6.51B
Gross Profit (TTM) WFC : $81.14B SF : $5.60B
EBITDA (TTM) WFC : $31.58B SF : $1.45B

Return for Risk

WFC vs. SF — Risk / Return Rank

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

WFC

WFC Risk / Return Rank: 45
WFC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 49
WFC Sortino Ratio Rank: 41
WFC Omega Ratio Rank: 41
WFC Calmar Ratio Rank: 47
WFC Martin Ratio Rank: 48

SF

SF Risk / Return Rank: 53
SF Sharpe Ratio Rank: 57
SF Sortino Ratio Rank: 49
SF Omega Ratio Rank: 49
SF Calmar Ratio Rank: 54
SF Martin Ratio Rank: 55

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.

WFC vs. SF - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) and Stifel Financial Corp. (SF). 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.

	WFC	SF	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.24	0.49	-0.25
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	0.50	0.81	-0.31
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.06	1.10	-0.04
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.27	0.59	-0.32
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	0.63	1.40	-0.76
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

WFC vs. SF - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current WFC Sharpe Ratio is 0.24, which is lower than the SF Sharpe Ratio of 0.49. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of WFC and SF, 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

	WFC	SF	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.24	0.49	-0.25
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.45	0.36	+0.09
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.23	0.49	-0.25
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.33	0.24	+0.09

Drawdowns

WFC vs. SF - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum WFC drawdown since its inception was -79.01%, roughly equal to the maximum SF drawdown of -78.37%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for WFC and SF.

Drawdown Indicators

	WFC	SF	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-79.01%	-78.37%	-0.64%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-23.02%	-21.20%	-1.82%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-24.73%	-34.67%	+9.94%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-37.10%	-36.25%	-0.85%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-64.46%	-51.89%	-12.57%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-17.50%	-21.15%	+3.65%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-15.35%	-29.18%	+13.83%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	9.93%	8.97%	+0.96%

Volatility

WFC vs. SF - Volatility Comparison

Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) has a higher volatility of 7.87% compared to Stifel Financial Corp. (SF) at 5.71%. This indicates that WFC's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SF based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	WFC	SF	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.87%	5.71%	+2.16%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	19.96%	19.96%	0.00%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	26.53%	25.72%	+0.81%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	30.21%	31.21%	-1.00%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	32.27%	35.19%	-2.92%

Dividends

WFC vs. SF - Dividend Comparison

WFC's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.29%, more than SF's 1.86% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
SF Stifel Financial Corp.	1.86%	1.47%	1.58%	2.08%	2.06%	0.85%	0.90%	0.99%	1.16%	0.34%	0.00%	0.00%
WFC Wells Fargo & Company	2.29%	1.82%	2.14%	2.64%	2.66%	1.25%	4.04%	3.57%	3.56%	2.54%	2.75%	2.71%

Financials

WFC vs. SF - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Wells Fargo & Company and Stifel Financial Corp. over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

WFC - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Wells Fargo & Company reported a gross profit of 20.31B and revenue of 31.80B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 63.9%.

SF - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Stifel Financial Corp. reported a gross profit of 1.38B and revenue of 1.67B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 82.8%.

WFC - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Wells Fargo & Company reported an operating income of 5.85B and revenue of 31.80B, resulting in an operating margin of 18.4%.

SF - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Stifel Financial Corp. reported an operating income of 542.38M and revenue of 1.67B, resulting in an operating margin of 32.6%.

WFC - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Wells Fargo & Company reported a net income of 5.29B and revenue of 31.80B, resulting in a net margin of 16.6%.

SF - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Stifel Financial Corp. reported a net income of 251.42M and revenue of 1.67B, resulting in a net margin of 15.1%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both WFC and SF in my portfolio?

WFC and SF have a correlation of 0.55, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, WFC or SF?

WFC has higher volatility (7.87%) compared to SF (5.71%). In terms of maximum drawdown, WFC dropped -79.01% vs SF's -78.37%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

SF currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.49 vs 0.24), 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.