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GS vs NDAQ
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Goldman Sachs (GS) vs. Nasdaq, Inc. (NDAQ) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- Different business models: GS is a cyclical global investment bank, while NDAQ is an exchange and financial-technology operator with more recurring revenue.
- Relative performance diverged: GS has pulled back meaningfully from its 52-week high in recent weeks, while NDAQ has been comparatively stable.
- Valuation gap: GS trades near a 12x trailing P/E (price-to-earnings) ratio, while NDAQ carries a much higher multiple above 27x.
- Momentum and catalysts: GS just posted strong quarterly results, while NDAQ reports in the coming weeks and has a more "Buy"-weighted analyst consensus.
- Risk profile differs: GS has higher beta (market sensitivity) and capital-markets cyclicality, whereas NDAQ offers lower-volatility, subscription-style growth.
Introduction
Investors weighing financial-sector exposure often face a choice between a storied investment bank and an exchange-technology leader. GS, The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., earns most of its revenue from investment banking, trading, and asset and wealth management. NDAQ, Nasdaq, Inc., operates exchanges while increasingly behaving like a software and data company. This stock comparison is relevant to traders seeking momentum and to long-term investors evaluating growth durability, valuation, and market positioning. The two names respond to very different drivers, making their relative performance a useful lens on broader market sentiment.
GS Overview and Recent Performance
Goldman Sachs is one of the world's leading investment banks, with leadership positions in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) advisory, equity underwriting, and global markets trading. Under a multi-year strategy, the firm has shifted emphasis toward its Global Banking & Markets and Asset & Wealth Management franchises while exiting non-core consumer banking operations.
Recent market activity has been volatile for GS. The stock rallied strongly through mid-2026 to a 52-week high before pulling back by double digits in recent weeks, leaving it roughly flat to modestly higher on a one-year basis. In its latest quarterly report, the company delivered earnings per share up sharply year over year and net revenue growth in the low-to-mid 20% range, driven by a rebound in investment banking fees and strong equities trading. Return on equity (ROE, a measure of profitability) also improved meaningfully. Sentiment remains constructive but measured, with analyst consensus hovering near a "Hold" rating and a price target above recent levels.
NDAQ Overview and Recent Performance
Nasdaq, Inc. is both a global exchange operator and a diversified financial-technology company. Its three segments — Capital Access Platforms, Financial Technology, and Market Services — generate a large share of revenue from recurring, subscription-based sources such as market data, index licensing, and anti-financial-crime software, notably its Verafin platform.
Relative performance for NDAQ has been steadier than GS in recent months. The stock has traded within a well-defined range, roughly flat over the past month and up modestly year over year, with lower realized volatility and a beta near 1.0. Its most recent quarterly results showed double-digit net revenue growth across all three divisions, an expanded non-GAAP operating margin, a raised dividend, and momentum in recurring revenue and artificial-intelligence (AI) adoption within its financial-crime tools. Analyst consensus for NDAQ is more bullish, with a "Buy" rating and a price target implying meaningful upside.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
The core trade-off between these two names is cyclical upside versus recurring-revenue stability. GS is leveraged to capital-markets activity: deal volumes, IPO (initial public offering) issuance, and trading volatility directly shape its earnings. That creates sharp earnings swings in both directions. NDAQ derives much of its income from recurring subscriptions, listings, and data fees, which produce smoother, more predictable growth but generally slower top-line expansion.
On valuation, GS screens as the cheaper name, trading at roughly 12x trailing earnings versus NDAQ's 27x-plus multiple — a premium that reflects NDAQ's software-like revenue mix and its "Buy"-heavy analyst consensus. On momentum and positioning, NDAQ has shown steadier price action and a firmer upgrade cycle, while GS has corrected sharply from its peak despite strong fundamental results. Risk factors also differ: GS faces interest-rate, credit, and deal-flow cyclicality, whereas NDAQ's risks center on execution of its financial-technology strategy and competition in data and index products.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Based on observable factors, Tickeron's AI would likely favor NDAQ at present, though the distinction is probabilistic rather than definitive. NDAQ currently exhibits more consistent trend behavior, lower realized volatility, a stronger analyst consensus, and recurring-revenue stability — attributes that trend-following and momentum models tend to reward. GS, by contrast, offers more compelling valuation and demonstrated earnings momentum, but its recent sharp pullback and higher beta introduce greater uncertainty into near-term positioning. An AI framework weighing trend consistency and stability would lean toward NDAQ, while a value- or mean-reversion-oriented model might still find GS attractive given its low multiple and strong fundamentals.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer.
To compare these two companies we present long-term analysis, their fundamental ratings and make comparative short-term technical analysis which are presented below. The conclusion is GS is a StrongBuy and NDAQ is a Hold.
GS's RSI Indicator ascending out of oversold territory
The RSI Oscillator for GS moved out of oversold territory on October 15, 2026. This could be a sign that the stock is shifting from a downward trend to an upward trend. Traders may want to buy the stock or call options. The A.I.dvisor looked at 22 similar instances when the indicator left oversold territory. In 22 of the 22 cases the stock moved higher. This puts the odds of a move higher at 90%.
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bullish Trend Analysis
The Stochastic Oscillator suggests the stock price trend may be in a reversal from a downward trend to an upward trend. 40 of 54 cases where GS's Stochastic Oscillator exited the oversold zone resulted in an increase in price. Tickeron's analysis proposes that the odds of a continued upward trend are 74%.
The Momentum Indicator moved above the 0 level on October 21, 2026. You may want to consider a long position or call options on GS as a result. In 57 of 76 past instances where the momentum indicator moved above 0, the stock continued to climb. The odds of a continued upward trend are 75%.
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) for GS just turned positive on October 12, 2026. Looking at past instances where GS's MACD turned positive, the stock continued to rise in 30 of 46 cases over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 65%.
Following a +3.30% 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where GS advanced for three days, in 212 of 347 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 61%.
Bearish Trend Analysis
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where GS declined for three days, the price rose further in 50 of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 56%.
The Aroon Indicator for GS entered a downward trend on October 21, 2026. This could indicate a strong downward move is ahead for the stock. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or buying put options.
Fundamental Analysis (Ratings)
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is 4 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating very strong sales and a profitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is 19 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating low risk on high returns. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 88, placing this stock better than average.
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is 57 (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to consistent earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is 59 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating steady price growth. GS’s price grows at a higher rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Seasonality Score of 85 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is significantly overvalued in the industry. The Tickeron Seasonality score describes the variance of predictable price changes around the same period every calendar year. These changes can be tied to a specific month, quarter, holiday or vacation period, as well as a meteorological or growing season.
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of 88 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is significantly overvalued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: P/B Ratio (2.401) is normal, around the industry mean (3.638). P/E Ratio (13.787) is within average values for comparable stocks, (8.944). Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (1.133) is also within normal values, averaging (0.809). Dividend Yield (0.022) settles around the average of (7.191) among similar stocks. P/S Ratio (4.394) is also within normal values, averaging (16.763).
NDAQ in upward trend: price rose above 50-day moving average on October 20, 2026
NDAQ moved above its 50-day moving average on October 20, 2026 date and that indicates a change from a downward trend to an upward trend. In 25 of 32 similar past instances, the stock price increased further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 78%.
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bullish Trend Analysis
The RSI Indicator points to a transition from a downward trend to an upward trend -- in cases where NDAQ's RSI Indicator exited the oversold zone, 16 of 23 resulted in an increase in price. Tickeron's analysis proposes that the odds of a continued upward trend are 70%.
The Momentum Indicator moved above the 0 level on October 15, 2026. You may want to consider a long position or call options on NDAQ as a result. In 46 of 80 past instances where the momentum indicator moved above 0, the stock continued to climb. The odds of a continued upward trend are 57%.
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) for NDAQ just turned positive on October 09, 2026. Looking at past instances where NDAQ's MACD turned positive, the stock continued to rise in 26 of 45 cases over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 58%.
Following a +3.13% 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where NDAQ advanced for three days, in 224 of 356 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 63%.
Bearish Trend Analysis
The Stochastic Oscillator has been in the overbought zone for 2 days. Expect a price pull-back in the near future.
The 10-day moving average for NDAQ crossed bearishly below the 50-day moving average on September 16, 2026. This indicates that the trend has shifted lower and could be considered a sell signal. In 6 of 15 past instances when the 10-day crossed below the 50-day, the stock continued to move higher over the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 40%.
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where NDAQ declined for three days, the price rose further in 50 of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 51%.
NDAQ broke above its upper Bollinger Band on October 21, 2026. This could be a sign that the stock is set to drop as the stock moves back below the upper band and toward the middle band. You may want to consider selling the stock or exploring put options.
The Aroon Indicator for NDAQ entered a downward trend on September 25, 2026. This could indicate a strong downward move is ahead for the stock. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or buying put options.
Fundamental Analysis (Ratings)
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is 30 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating low risk on high returns. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 77, placing this stock better than average.
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is 33 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating outstanding price growth. NDAQ’s price grows at a higher rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is 52 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating strong sales and a profitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is 58 (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to average earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of 85 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is significantly overvalued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: P/B Ratio (4.482) is normal, around the industry mean (3.954). P/E Ratio (27.780) is within average values for comparable stocks, (17.124). Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (1.712) is also within normal values, averaging (1.780). Dividend Yield (0.013) settles around the average of (0.019) among similar stocks. P/S Ratio (5.831) is also within normal values, averaging (7.166).
The Tickeron Seasonality Score of 85 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is significantly overvalued in the industry. The Tickeron Seasonality score describes the variance of predictable price changes around the same period every calendar year. These changes can be tied to a specific month, quarter, holiday or vacation period, as well as a meteorological or growing season.
GS | NDAQ | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 67 | 20 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 88 Overvalued | 85 Overvalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 19 | 30 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 4 | 52 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 59 | 33 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 57 | 58 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 85 | 85 |
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points to the least successful stocks for that industry.
NDAQ's Valuation (85) in the Investment Banks Or Brokers industry is in the same range as GS (88). This means that NDAQ’s stock grew similarly to GS’s over the last 12 months.
GS's Profit vs Risk Rating (19) in the Investment Banks Or Brokers industry is in the same range as NDAQ (30). This means that GS’s stock grew similarly to NDAQ’s over the last 12 months.
GS's SMR Rating (4) in the Investment Banks Or Brokers industry is somewhat better than the same rating for NDAQ (52). This means that GS’s stock grew somewhat faster than NDAQ’s over the last 12 months.
NDAQ's Price Growth Rating (33) in the Investment Banks Or Brokers industry is in the same range as GS (59). This means that NDAQ’s stock grew similarly to GS’s over the last 12 months.
GS's P/E Growth Rating (57) in the Investment Banks Or Brokers industry is in the same range as NDAQ (58). This means that GS’s stock grew similarly to NDAQ’s over the last 12 months.
| GS | NDAQ | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 90% | 4 days ago 70% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 74% | 2 days ago 59% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 75% | 2 days ago 57% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 65% | 2 days ago 58% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 66% | 2 days ago 63% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 59% | 2 days ago 62% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 61% | 2 days ago 63% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 56% | 9 days ago 51% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | N/A | 2 days ago 58% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 45% | 2 days ago 54% |
Long-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is overvalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
GS’s FA Score shows that 2 FA rating(s) are green while NDAQ’s FA Score has 2 green FA rating(s).
- GS’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
- NDAQ’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
Short-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
GS’s TA Score shows that 5 TA indicator(s) are bullish while NDAQ’s TA Score has 5 bullish TA indicator(s).
- GS’s TA Score: 5 bullish, 2 bearish.
- NDAQ’s TA Score: 5 bullish, 5 bearish.
Price Growth
GS (@Investment Banks/Brokers) experienced а +2.96% price change this week, while NDAQ (@Financial Publishing/Services) price change was +4.52% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Investment Banks/Brokers industry was -5.09%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -16.78%, and the average quarterly price growth was -13.10%.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Financial Publishing/Services industry was +3.03%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +6.26%, and the average quarterly price growth was +8.61%.
Reported Earning Dates
GS is expected to report earnings on Jan 19, 2027.
NDAQ is expected to report earnings on Oct 22, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Investment Banks/Brokers (-5.09% weekly)These banks specialize in underwriting (helping companies with debt financing or equity issuances), IPOs, facilitating mergers and other corporate reorganizations and acting as a broker or financial advisor for institutions. They might also trade securities on their own accounts. Investment banks potentially thrive on expanding its network of clients, since that could help them increase profits. Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and CME Group Inc are some of the largest investment banking companies.
@Financial Publishing/Services (+3.03% weekly)The financial publishing /services sector includes companies that provide informational products and services that are of value to investors, financial/analytics professionals and other interested readers. The products include real-time stock quotes, financial news and analyses. Think S&P Global, Inc., Moody`s Corporation, Thomson-Reuters Corp and IHS Markit Ltd. Information is critical in making financial or investment decisions, and what makes this industry’s output relevant at all times, across various economic conditions.
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