WTFC vs. NXST

Last updated Jun 3, 2026

WTFC (Wintrust Financial Corporation) and NXST (Nexstar Media Group, Inc.) are both stocks. WTFC operates in Banks - Regional (Financial Services), while NXST operates in Broadcasting (Communication Services). Over the past 10 years, WTFC returned 12.71%/yr vs 16.24%/yr for NXST. At a 0.34 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

WTFC vs. NXST - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Wintrust Financial Corporation (WTFC) and Nexstar Media Group, Inc. (NXST). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, WTFC achieves a 8.13% return, which is significantly higher than NXST's -9.19% return. Over the past 10 years, WTFC has underperformed NXST with an annualized return of 12.71%, while NXST has yielded a comparatively higher 16.24% annualized return.

WTFC

• 1D: 2.05%
• 1M: 0.73%
• YTD: 8.13%
• 6M: 11.94%
• 1Y: 27.46%
• 3Y*: 32.42%
• 5Y*: 14.87%
• 10Y*: 12.71%

NXST

• 1D: -1.74%
• 1M: -9.61%
• YTD: -9.19%
• 6M: -1.84%
• 1Y: 12.26%
• 3Y*: 8.91%
• 5Y*: 7.46%
• 10Y*: 16.24%

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

WTFC vs. NXST - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
WTFC Wintrust Financial Corporation	8.13%	13.94%	36.83%	12.00%	-5.54%	51.10%	-11.77%	8.16%	-18.56%	14.36%
NXST Nexstar Media Group, Inc.	-9.19%	33.95%	5.04%	-7.52%	18.37%	40.95%	-4.42%	51.93%	2.65%	25.89%

Correlation

The correlation between WTFC and NXST is 0.29, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.29
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.45
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.49
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.46
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Nov 26, 2003	0.34

The correlation between WTFC and NXST shifts across timeframes, from 0.29 (1 year) to 0.49 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Fundamentals

Market Cap WTFC : $127.74M NXST : $5.65B
EPS WTFC : $16.92 NXST : $5.37
PE Ratio WTFC : 8.87 NXST : 33.74
PEG Ratio WTFC : 0.81 NXST : 8.24K
PS Ratio WTFC : 1.84 NXST : 1.09
Total Revenue (TTM) WTFC : $4.15B NXST : $5.11B
Gross Profit (TTM) WTFC : $2.01B NXST : $1.65B
EBITDA (TTM) WTFC : $943.92M NXST : $1.42B

Return for Risk

WTFC vs. NXST — Risk / Return Rank

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

WTFC

WTFC Risk / Return Rank: 67
WTFC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 72
WTFC Sortino Ratio Rank: 66
WTFC Omega Ratio Rank: 63
WTFC Calmar Ratio Rank: 67
WTFC Martin Ratio Rank: 70

NXST

NXST Risk / Return Rank: 49
NXST Sharpe Ratio Rank: 53
NXST Sortino Ratio Rank: 46
NXST Omega Ratio Rank: 46
NXST Calmar Ratio Rank: 48
NXST Martin Ratio Rank: 51

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.

WTFC vs. NXST - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Wintrust Financial Corporation (WTFC) and Nexstar Media Group, Inc. (NXST). 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.

	WTFC	NXST	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.06	0.37	+0.69
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.57	0.74	+0.83
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.19	1.09	+0.10
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.43	0.35	+1.08
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	3.85	0.92	+2.93
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

WTFC vs. NXST - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current WTFC Sharpe Ratio is 1.06, which is higher than the NXST Sharpe Ratio of 0.37. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of WTFC and NXST, 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

	WTFC	NXST	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.06	0.37	+0.69
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.47	0.22	+0.25
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.34	0.41	-0.07
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.26	0.23	+0.03

Drawdowns

WTFC vs. NXST - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum WTFC drawdown since its inception was -83.58%, smaller than the maximum NXST drawdown of -96.66%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for WTFC and NXST.

Drawdown Indicators

	WTFC	NXST	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-83.58%	-96.66%	+13.08%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-19.30%	-29.50%	+10.20%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-31.02%	-29.50%	-1.52%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-40.71%	-35.73%	-4.98%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-74.50%	-64.56%	-9.94%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-6.62%	-27.88%	+21.26%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-23.18%	-30.30%	+7.12%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	7.18%	11.10%	-3.92%

Volatility

WTFC vs. NXST - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Wintrust Financial Corporation (WTFC) is 5.69%, while Nexstar Media Group, Inc. (NXST) has a volatility of 9.02%. This indicates that WTFC experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than NXST based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	WTFC	NXST	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.69%	9.02%	-3.33%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	18.04%	27.50%	-9.46%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	26.05%	33.70%	-7.65%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	31.87%	34.48%	-2.61%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	37.32%	39.77%	-2.45%

Dividends

WTFC vs. NXST - Dividend Comparison

WTFC's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.40%, less than NXST's 4.11% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
NXST Nexstar Media Group, Inc.	4.11%	3.66%	4.28%	3.44%	2.06%	1.85%	2.05%	1.54%	1.91%	1.53%	1.52%	1.29%
WTFC Wintrust Financial Corporation	1.40%	1.43%	1.44%	1.73%	1.61%	1.37%	1.83%	1.41%	1.14%	0.68%	0.66%	0.91%

Financials

WTFC vs. NXST - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Wintrust Financial Corporation and Nexstar Media Group, Inc. over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

WTFC - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Wintrust Financial Corporation reported a gross profit of 0.00 and revenue of 927.56M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 0.0%.

NXST - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Nexstar Media Group, Inc. reported a gross profit of 0.00 and revenue of 1.40B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 0.0%.

WTFC - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Wintrust Financial Corporation reported an operating income of 19.15M and revenue of 927.56M, resulting in an operating margin of 2.1%.

NXST - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Nexstar Media Group, Inc. reported an operating income of 265.00M and revenue of 1.40B, resulting in an operating margin of 19.0%.

WTFC - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Wintrust Financial Corporation reported a net income of 227.39M and revenue of 927.56M, resulting in a net margin of 24.5%.

NXST - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Nexstar Media Group, Inc. reported a net income of 164.00M and revenue of 1.40B, resulting in a net margin of 11.8%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both WTFC and NXST in my portfolio?

WTFC and NXST have a correlation of 0.29, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, WTFC or NXST?

NXST has higher volatility (9.02%) compared to WTFC (5.69%). In terms of maximum drawdown, WTFC dropped -83.58% vs NXST's -96.66%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

WTFC currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.06 vs 0.37), 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.