WallStSmart

Capital One Financial Corporation (COF)vsUpstart Holdings Inc (UPST)

VS

Smart Verdict

WallStSmart Research — data-driven comparison

Capital One Financial Corporation generates 3641% more annual revenue ($48.11B vs $1.29B). COF leads profitability with a 21.9% profit margin vs 4.7%. COF trades at a lower P/E of 11.5x. COF earns a higher WallStSmart Score of 75/100 (B).

COF

Strong Buy

75

out of 100

Grade: B

Growth: 7.3Profit: 7.0Value: 8.3Quality: 4.0
Piotroski: 2/9Altman Z: -0.36

UPST

Buy

53

out of 100

Grade: C-

Growth: 8.7Profit: 4.5Value: 4.0Quality: 5.0
Piotroski: 5/9Altman Z: 0.80

Key Strengths & Concerns

Side-by-side fundamental analysis

Key Strengths

COF6 strengths · Avg: 9.8/10
PEG RatioValuation
0.1910/10

Growing faster than its price suggests

P/E RatioValuation
11.5x10/10

Attractively priced relative to earnings

Price/BookValuation
1.2x10/10

Reasonable price relative to book value

Operating MarginProfitability
33.6%10/10

Strong operational efficiency at 33.6%

Revenue GrowthGrowth
1111.0%10/10

Revenue surging 1111.0% year-over-year

Market CapQuality
$127.79B9/10

Large-cap with strong market position

UPST2 strengths · Avg: 10.0/10
Revenue GrowthGrowth
42.3%10/10

Revenue surging 42.3% year-over-year

EPS GrowthGrowth
211.2%10/10

Earnings expanding 211.2% YoY

Areas to Watch

COF3 concerns · Avg: 2.3/10
Piotroski F-ScoreQuality
2/93/10

Weak financial health signals

EPS GrowthGrowth
-3.2%2/10

Earnings declined 3.2%

Altman Z-ScoreHealth
-0.362/10

Distress zone — elevated risk

UPST4 concerns · Avg: 2.5/10
Return on EquityProfitability
6.7%3/10

ROE of 6.7% — below average capital efficiency

Profit MarginProfitability
4.7%3/10

4.7% margin — thin

P/E RatioValuation
51.8x2/10

Premium valuation, high expectations priced in

Free Cash FlowQuality
$-138.82M2/10

Negative free cash flow — burning cash

Comparative Analysis Report

WallStSmart Research

Bull Case : COF

The strongest argument for COF centers on PEG Ratio, P/E Ratio, Price/Book. Profitability is solid with margins at 21.9% and operating margin at 33.6%. Revenue growth of 1111.0% demonstrates continued momentum.

Bull Case : UPST

The strongest argument for UPST centers on Revenue Growth, EPS Growth. Revenue growth of 42.3% demonstrates continued momentum.

Bear Case : COF

The primary concerns for COF are Piotroski F-Score, EPS Growth, Altman Z-Score.

Bear Case : UPST

The primary concerns for UPST are Return on Equity, Profit Margin, P/E Ratio. A P/E of 51.8x leaves little room for execution misses. Debt-to-equity of 2.54 is elevated, increasing financial risk.

Key Dynamics to Monitor

COF profiles as a growth stock while UPST is a hypergrowth play — different risk/reward profiles.

UPST carries more volatility with a beta of 2.17 — expect wider price swings.

COF is growing revenue faster at 1111.0% — sustainability is the question.

COF generates stronger free cash flow (7.9B), providing more financial flexibility.

Bottom Line

COF scores higher overall (75/100 vs 53/100), backed by strong 21.9% margins and 1111.0% revenue growth. Both earn "Strong Buy" and "Buy" ratings respectively — the choice depends on your investment horizon and risk tolerance.

This analysis is generated from publicly available financial data. Not financial advice.

Capital One Financial Corporation

FINANCIAL SERVICES · CREDIT SERVICES · USA

Capital One Financial Corporation is an American bank holding company specializing in credit cards, auto loans, banking, and savings accounts, headquartered in McLean, Virginia with operations primarily in the United States.

Upstart Holdings Inc

FINANCIAL SERVICES · CREDIT SERVICES · USA

Upstart Holdings, Inc. operates a cloud-based artificial intelligence (AI) lending platform. The company is headquartered in San Mateo, California.

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