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PFG vs STT
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Principal Financial Group (PFG) vs. State Street (STT) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- Both PFG and STT reported strong Q1 2026 earnings beats, with PFG achieving 13% adjusted EPS (earnings per share) growth and STT posting EPS of $2.84 versus estimates of $2.64.
- STT shows stronger recent momentum with a YTD return of 19.4% and 1-year return of 76%, outpacing PFG's 15.6% YTD and 42% 1-year gains.
- PFG provides a higher dividend yield of 3.25% compared to STT's 2.21%, appealing to income-focused investors.
- STT's larger market cap of $42 billion versus PFG's $22 billion reflects its scale in custody services.
- Both stocks trade near 52-week highs, signaling positive market sentiment amid favorable financial sector conditions.
Introduction
Principal Financial Group (PFG) and State Street Corporation (STT) are prominent financial services providers, with PFG focusing on insurance, retirement solutions, and asset management, while STT excels in institutional asset servicing and custody. This stock comparison is relevant for investors and traders evaluating opportunities in the asset management and financial infrastructure sectors, particularly amid recent market volatility and rising assets under management (AUM). By analyzing recent performance, valuation, and market positioning, readers can gauge relative strengths for portfolio diversification or tactical trades.
PFG Overview and Recent Performance
Principal Financial Group (PFG) delivers retirement services, asset management, and insurance products to businesses and individuals globally. In recent market activity, PFG shares have traded near their 52-week high of around $102, supported by a YTD gain of 15.6%. Q1 2026 results featured adjusted EPS growth of 13% to $2.07, beating estimates, alongside $374 million returned to shareholders via dividends and buybacks. An 8% dividend increase to $0.82 further bolstered sentiment. Stable credit ratings from AM Best and leadership enhancements have influenced positive performance, though valuation metrics like a PE (price-to-earnings) ratio of 14.5 suggest balanced positioning relative to peers.
STT Overview and Recent Performance
State Street Corporation (STT) specializes in custody banking, asset servicing, and investment management, overseeing $53.8 trillion in assets under custody/administration (AUC/A) and $5.7 trillion in AUM as of late 2025. Recent weeks have seen STT shares near their 52-week high of $156, with a YTD return of 19.4% and robust 76% 1-year appreciation. Q1 2026 earnings highlighted EPS of $2.84, surpassing forecasts, driven by elevated fee income from market volatility. Plans for a tokenized fund by year-end underscore innovation in digital assets, contributing to upward price momentum and a PE ratio of 15.4.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
PFG and STT operate in overlapping financial services but diverge in models: PFG emphasizes retirement plans and insurance premiums alongside fee-based AUM growth, while STT leverages scale in custody fees and AUC/A expansion. Growth drivers favor STT amid volatile markets boosting servicing revenues, contrasting PFG’s steadier premium income. Recent momentum tilts to STT with superior returns, though PFG edges in dividend appeal. Risk factors include interest rate sensitivity for both, with PFG exposed to insurance claims and STT to equity market drawdowns. Sector exposure aligns in financials, but sentiment leans positive for STT’s innovation edge.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Tickeron’s AI currently favors STT over PFG, based on stronger trend consistency, higher YTD and 1-year returns, and catalysts like fee growth from market activity. STT’s larger scale and positioning in custody services provide relative stability, though PFG remains competitive for income seekers. This probabilistic edge reflects observable momentum rather than guarantees.
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. Disclaimers and Limitations
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 PFG is a StrongBuy and STT is a Buy.
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 undervalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
PFG’s FA Score shows that 2 FA rating(s) are green whileSTT’s FA Score has 4 green FA rating(s).
- PFG’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
- STT’s FA Score: 4 green, 1 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.
PFG’s TA Score shows that 4 TA indicator(s) are bullish while STT’s TA Score has 4 bullish TA indicator(s).
- PFG’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 4 bearish.
- STT’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 4 bearish.
Price Growth
PFG (@Investment Managers) experienced а +5.60% price change this week, while STT (@Investment Managers) price change was +3.64% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Investment Managers industry was +1.75%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -0.79%, and the average quarterly price growth was -7.30%.
Reported Earning Dates
PFG is expected to report earnings on Jul 23, 2026.
STT is expected to report earnings on Jul 16, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Investment Managers (+1.75% weekly)Investment Managers manage financial assets and other investments of clients. Management includes designing a short- or long-term strategy for buying/holding and selling of portfolio holdings. It can also include tax services and other aspects of financial planning as well. While it is perceived that the industry is faced with growing competition from robo-advisors/digital platforms and passive/ index-tracking funds, many investors still find value in actively managed in-person services that investment management companies often emphasize on. At the same time, many wealth managers are also incorporating digital initiatives/low cost options in addition to their in-person customized services. Their main sources of revenues are fees as a percentage of assets under management, in addition to a certain portion of clients’ gains from asset appreciation. BlackRock, Inc., Blackstone Group Inc and Brookfield Asset Management are some of the major investment management companies.
| PFG | STT | PFG / STT | |
| Capitalization | 24B | 46.4B | 52% |
| EBITDA | N/A | N/A | - |
| Gain YTD | 28.114 | 31.661 | 89% |
| P/E Ratio | 15.94 | 17.02 | 94% |
| Revenue | 15.5B | 14.5B | 107% |
| Total Cash | 31.7B | 4.43B | 715% |
| Total Debt | 3.95B | 29.2B | 14% |
PFG | STT | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 39 | 79 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 12 Undervalued | 64 Fair valued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 100 | 16 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 100 | 13 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 11 | 7 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 55 | 18 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | n/a | 50 |
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.
PFG's Valuation (12) in the Life Or Health Insurance industry is somewhat better than the same rating for STT (64) in the Regional Banks industry. This means that PFG’s stock grew somewhat faster than STT’s over the last 12 months.
STT's Profit vs Risk Rating (16) in the Regional Banks industry is significantly better than the same rating for PFG (100) in the Life Or Health Insurance industry. This means that STT’s stock grew significantly faster than PFG’s over the last 12 months.
STT's SMR Rating (13) in the Regional Banks industry is significantly better than the same rating for PFG (100) in the Life Or Health Insurance industry. This means that STT’s stock grew significantly faster than PFG’s over the last 12 months.
STT's Price Growth Rating (7) in the Regional Banks industry is in the same range as PFG (11) in the Life Or Health Insurance industry. This means that STT’s stock grew similarly to PFG’s over the last 12 months.
STT's P/E Growth Rating (18) in the Regional Banks industry is somewhat better than the same rating for PFG (55) in the Life Or Health Insurance industry. This means that STT’s stock grew somewhat faster than PFG’s over the last 12 months.
| PFG | STT | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 52% | 3 days ago 55% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 56% | 3 days ago 57% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 65% | 3 days ago 66% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 67% | 3 days ago 66% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 65% | 3 days ago 67% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 58% | 3 days ago 64% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 66% | 3 days ago 65% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 18 days ago 57% | 12 days ago 55% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 53% | 3 days ago 49% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 57% | 3 days ago 61% |
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PFG and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, PFG has been loosely correlated with EQH. These tickers have moved in lockstep 61% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if PFG jumps, then EQH could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To PFG | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PFG | 100% | +1.30% | ||
| EQH - PFG | 61% Loosely correlated | +0.94% | ||
| CRBG - PFG | 61% Loosely correlated | +1.91% | ||
| AMP - PFG | 60% Loosely correlated | +1.94% | ||
| STT - PFG | 57% Loosely correlated | +1.69% | ||
| BBUC - PFG | 54% Loosely correlated | +2.44% | ||
More | ||||
STT and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, STT has been closely correlated with NTRS. These tickers have moved in lockstep 72% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is a high statistical probability that if STT jumps, then NTRS could also see price increases.