Advertisement
KEY or PNC or RF
Which Stock Would AI Choose? KeyCorp (KEY) vs. The PNC Financial Services Group (PNC) vs. Regions Financial Corporation (RF) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- KEY offers a high dividend yield of 4.34% with a P/E ratio of 12.4, but trails peers in YTD performance amid regional bank sector pressures.
- PNC demonstrates robust scale with $81B market cap, 3.38% yield, and strong Q4 revenue growth of 9%, supported by recent acquisitions.
- RF leads 1-year returns at around 23% and YTD gains, with a compelling 4.18% yield and attractive P/E of 11.0, appealing for income investors.
- All three regional banks show resilience in net interest margins, but face interest rate sensitivity and commercial real estate exposure.
- PNC's diversification and expansion edge out in stability, while RF shines in relative momentum.
Introduction
KeyCorp (KEY), The PNC Financial Services Group (PNC), and Regions Financial Corporation (RF) represent prominent regional banks navigating a dynamic market shaped by interest rate shifts and economic uncertainty. This comparison evaluates their business models, recent performance, and market positioning, offering insights for traders seeking momentum plays and investors focused on dividends and stability in the financial sector. With regional banks comprising a key segment of the broader market, understanding relative performance aids in portfolio allocation amid ongoing sector rotation.
KEY Overview and Recent Performance
KeyCorp (KEY), headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, operates as the holding company for KeyBank National Association, providing retail and commercial banking across the U.S. through Consumer Bank and Commercial Bank segments. Recent market activity has seen KEY trading around $19, with a market cap of approximately $20.6B, P/E ratio of 12.4, and dividend yield of 4.34%. In recent weeks, shares experienced volatility, reflecting broader regional bank selloffs, though analyst price target increases to $26 signal optimism for loan growth and net interest margin expansion. Sentiment has been influenced by community investments and Q4 2025 earnings beats, with net income rising significantly year-over-year, tempered by concerns over loan demand.
PNC Overview and Recent Performance
The PNC Financial Services Group (PNC), based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a diversified financial services firm offering retail banking, corporate banking, and asset management. Shares trade near $201, with a $81B market cap, P/E of 12.1, and 3.38% dividend yield. Recent performance highlights include 9% Q4 revenue growth to $6.1B, exceeding expectations, alongside the January 2026 FirstBank acquisition tripling presence in high-growth Colorado. Despite post-earnings dips, YTD returns around 3% outperform the S&P 500, driven by net interest income gains and expansion strategies, though private credit exposure adds caution.
RF Overview and Recent Performance
Regions Financial Corporation (RF), headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, delivers banking, wealth management, and mortgage services primarily in the Southeast and Midwest. Current price hovers at $25, market cap $22B, P/E 11.0, and yield 4.18%. Recent weeks showed mixed Q4 results with revenue up 4.1% but EPS misses, leading to share declines; YTD gains near 5.7% and 1-year returns of 23% reflect strong momentum. Leadership changes and wealth management growth bolster sentiment, alongside solid full-year earnings of $2.1B, though net interest margin contraction poses challenges.
Trending AI Robots
Tickeron’s Trending AI Robots page showcases the top-performing AI trading bots from a library of over 350, curating 25 bots best suited to current market conditions across diverse strategies and timeframes. These bots deliver impressive stats, with annualized returns ranging from +17% to +208%, win rates of 53% to 95%, and profit factors up to 25.8, often trading leveraged ETFs, semiconductors, energy, and industrials with average holds from 1 day to 62 days. Varying in styles from aggressive growth to hedging, they adapt to volatility, providing data-driven signals for thousands of tickers. Traders can explore these high-conviction options to enhance strategies—visit Trending AI Robots for real-time performance insights.
Head-to-Head Comparison
KEY, PNC, and RF share regional banking models focused on deposits, loans, and fees, but differ in scale and exposure: PNC's larger footprint offers diversification via asset management, contrasting KEY and RF's Midwest/Southeast emphasis. Growth drivers include PNC's acquisitions and RF's wealth management, while recent momentum favors RF's 23% 1-year gain over PNC's 16% and KEY's lower returns. Risk factors like CRE loans and rate sensitivity are common, with KEY most vulnerable to deposit costs. Valuation sees RF cheapest at P/E 11, KEY and PNC around 12; yields highest for KEY at 4.3%. Sentiment tilts positive on capital returns, trading PNC for stability versus RF for upside.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Tickeron’s AI currently favors PNC due to its trend consistency, larger scale, acquisition catalysts like FirstBank, and stable positioning relative to peers amid rate uncertainty. With superior revenue growth and diversification, it shows higher probability of outperformance, though RF's momentum merits attention for shorter horizons.
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
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).
KEY’s FA Score shows that 2 FA rating(s) are green whilePNC’s FA Score has 2 green FA rating(s), and RF’s FA Score reflects 2 green FA rating(s).
- KEY’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
- PNC’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
- RF’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.
KEY’s TA Score shows that 6 TA indicator(s) are bullish while PNC’s TA Score has 6 bullish TA indicator(s), and RF’s TA Score reflects 6 bullish TA indicator(s).
- KEY’s TA Score: 6 bullish, 4 bearish.
- PNC’s TA Score: 6 bullish, 4 bearish.
- RF’s TA Score: 6 bullish, 4 bearish.
Price Growth
KEY (@Regional Banks) experienced а +1.58% price change this week, while PNC (@Regional Banks) price change was +2.45% , and RF (@Regional Banks) price fluctuated +2.29% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Regional Banks industry was +1.58%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +6.76%, and the average quarterly price growth was +20.92%.
Reported Earning Dates
KEY is expected to report earnings on Jul 21, 2026.
PNC is expected to report earnings on Jul 15, 2026.
RF is expected to report earnings on Jul 17, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Regional Banks (+1.58% weekly)Regional banks have a smaller reach than major banks, and cater mostly to one region of a country, such as a state or within a group of states. They offer services often similar – albeit with some limitations/smaller scale – compared to major banks. Taking deposits, making loans, mortgages, leases, credit cards , fund management, insurance and investment banking. SunTrust Banks, State Street Corp., M&T Bank Corp. are some examples of U.S. regional banks.
| KEY | PNC | RF | |
| Capitalization | 23.7B | 90.4B | 24B |
| EBITDA | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Gain YTD | 6.666 | 9.364 | 4.799 |
| P/E Ratio | 13.37 | 13.06 | 11.67 |
| Revenue | 7.29B | 23.1B | 7.53B |
| Total Cash | N/A | 6.78B | 3.11B |
| Total Debt | 11B | 57.1B | 4.88B |
KEY | PNC | RF | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 37 | 28 | 45 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 79 Overvalued | 77 Overvalued | 69 Overvalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 73 | 53 | 39 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 8 | 5 | 7 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 14 | 18 | 19 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 92 | 41 | 38 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 50 | 50 | 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.
RF's Valuation (69) in the Major Banks industry is in the same range as PNC (77) and is in the same range as KEY (79). This means that RF's stock grew similarly to PNC’s and similarly to KEY’s over the last 12 months.
RF's Profit vs Risk Rating (39) in the Major Banks industry is in the same range as PNC (53) and is somewhat better than the same rating for KEY (73). This means that RF's stock grew similarly to PNC’s and somewhat faster than KEY’s over the last 12 months.
PNC's SMR Rating (5) in the Major Banks industry is in the same range as RF (7) and is in the same range as KEY (8). This means that PNC's stock grew similarly to RF’s and similarly to KEY’s over the last 12 months.
KEY's Price Growth Rating (14) in the Major Banks industry is in the same range as PNC (18) and is in the same range as RF (19). This means that KEY's stock grew similarly to PNC’s and similarly to RF’s over the last 12 months.
RF's P/E Growth Rating (38) in the Major Banks industry is in the same range as PNC (41) and is somewhat better than the same rating for KEY (92). This means that RF's stock grew similarly to PNC’s and somewhat faster than KEY’s over the last 12 months.
| KEY | PNC | RF | |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 59% | 3 days ago 58% | 3 days ago 64% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 66% | 3 days ago 62% | 3 days ago 63% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 69% | 3 days ago 64% | 3 days ago 64% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 61% | 3 days ago 56% | 3 days ago 64% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 65% | 3 days ago 55% | 3 days ago 63% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 60% | 3 days ago 51% | 3 days ago 59% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 61% | 11 days ago 55% | 3 days ago 62% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 5 days ago 70% | 21 days ago 62% | 24 days ago 64% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 70% | 3 days ago 65% | 3 days ago 55% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 62% | 3 days ago 47% | 3 days ago 56% |
Advertisement
| 1 Day | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ETFs / NAME | Price $ | Chg $ | Chg % |
| XAIX | 46.11 | 0.66 | +1.44% |
| Xtrackers Artfcl Intlgc and Big Dt ETF | |||
| ITA | 231.94 | 2.91 | +1.27% |
| iShares US Aerospace & Defense ETF | |||
| QQH | 74.92 | 0.82 | +1.11% |
| HCM Defender 100 Index ETF | |||
| SDCP | 25.75 | 0.03 | +0.12% |
| Virtus Newfleet Short Dur Cor Pls Bd ETF | |||
| OPER | 100.30 | 0.04 | +0.03% |
| ClearShares Ultra-Short Maturity ETF | |||
PNC and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, PNC has been closely correlated with CFG. These tickers have moved in lockstep 89% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is a high statistical probability that if PNC jumps, then CFG could also see price increases.