tiprankstipranks
Trending News
More News >
Stifel Financial (SF)
:SF

Stifel Financial (SF) AI Stock Analysis

Compare
278 Followers

Top Page

SF

Stifel Financial

(NYSE:SF)

Rating:69Neutral
Price Target:
Stifel Financial demonstrates strong financial performance with revenue growth and stable profitability, which are key strengths. However, technical analysis indicates a bearish trend with the stock trading below moving averages. Valuation is fair, supported by a reasonable P/E ratio and dividend yield. The recent earnings call reveals strong results but highlights short-term challenges, including legal charges and market volatility.
Positive Factors
Capital Markets Recovery
SF's valuation offers a free option on capital markets recovery—where outlook improved, and sticking to '25 guidance is a distinct positive.
Market Rally and Asset Growth
Client assets rose in November, ending the month at $513.9B, up 4.1% m/m. The increase in assets m/m was mostly attributed to the November market rally and financial advisor recruiting.
Recruitment and Organic Growth
Stifel Financial expressed optimism about recruitment in 2025, suggesting potential for future organic growth.
Negative Factors
Client Cash Decline
The 5% decline in client cash outpaced peers and previous declines, contributing to a negative outlook for the shares.
Earnings Dilution
IB guidance below expectations and points to ~5% earnings dilution.
Financial Instability
Client money markets and insured product balances fell more significantly than in previous years, indicating financial instability.

Stifel Financial (SF) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

Stifel Financial Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionStifel Financial Corp., a financial services and bank holding company, provides retail and institutional wealth management, and investment banking services to individual investors, corporations, municipalities, and institutions in the United States, the United Kingdom, the rest of Europe, and Canada. It operates in three segments: Global Wealth Management, Institutional Group, and Other. The company provides private client services, including securities transaction and financial planning services; institutional equity and fixed income sales, trading and research, and municipal finance services; investment banking services, such as mergers and acquisitions, public offerings, and private placements; and retail and commercial banking services comprising personal and commercial lending programs, as well as deposit accounts. It also participates in and manages underwritings for corporate and public finance; and offers financial advisory and securities brokerage services. The company was founded in 1890 and is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.
How the Company Makes MoneyStifel Financial makes money through various revenue streams primarily driven by its core business segments. The Global Wealth Management segment generates revenue through commissions and fees from advisory services, asset management, and brokerage services offered to individual and institutional clients. The Institutional Group segment earns revenue from underwriting, advisory services related to mergers and acquisitions, and trading activities. Stifel also benefits from interest income on client balances and portfolio investments. Strategic partnerships and acquisitions may also enhance their service offering and expand their market reach, contributing to their overall earnings.

Stifel Financial Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Apr 23, 2025
(Q1-2025)
|
% Change Since: 8.98%|
Next Earnings Date:Jul 23, 2025
Earnings Call Sentiment Neutral
The earnings call highlights Stifel's record first quarter revenue and strong performance in asset management and advisory services. However, these achievements are offset by a significant legal charge, market volatility, and declines in client assets and net interest income. While there is optimism about long-term growth, short-term challenges persist.
Q1-2025 Updates
Positive Updates
Record First Quarter Revenue
Stifel Financial generated $1.3 billion in net revenue during the first quarter, marking the highest first quarter revenue and third strongest quarter overall.
Asset Management Revenue Growth
Asset management revenue reached a record high, up 11% year-over-year, reflecting organic growth and market appreciation.
Strong Performance in Advisory and Capital Raising
Investment banking revenues rose 11%, driven by increases in both capital raising and advisory.
Successful Advisor Recruiting
Added 52 total advisors, including nine experienced advisors with trailing 12-month production of $12 million.
Positive Momentum in Financials Vertical
Strong performance in the financials vertical, with a growing appetite for bank M&A.
Negative Updates
Significant Legal Charge Impact
Legal accrual totaled $180 million for the quarter, resulting in a $1.16 negative impact on EPS.
Market Volatility and Investor Confidence
Market conditions, including tariffs, global capital flow uncertainty, and monetary policy disagreements, have weighed on investor confidence and slowed activity.
Decline in Client Assets
Ended the quarter with fee-based assets of $190 billion and total client assets of $486 billion, with sequential declines due to weaker equity markets and modest asset outflows.
Lower Net Interest Income
Net interest income was 3% below The Street estimate due to lower NIM driven by lower-than-expected loan growth.
Company Guidance
During the Stifel Financial First Quarter 2025 Financial Results Conference Call, guidance focused on the firm's ability to navigate volatile market conditions, while achieving strong results in several areas. Stifel reported $1.3 billion in net revenue, marking its highest first quarter revenue and the third strongest quarter overall, with a significant 11% year-over-year increase in operating EPS to $1.65. The Global Wealth Management segment saw record asset management revenue, up 11%, while advisory and transactional revenue in Institutional Equities remained robust. Despite a significant $180 million legal charge impacting GAAP earnings, the firm's operating pre-tax margin exceeded 20%. The compensation ratio was 58%, aligning with the high end of annual guidance. The firm maintained a conservative market outlook, with the S&P 500 forecasted at 5,500, and despite market challenges, emphasized its strong recruiting pipeline and strategic flexibility in capital allocation, hinting at potential focus shifts towards share repurchases amidst moderated loan growth.

Stifel Financial Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Stifel Financial demonstrates solid financial health with strong revenue growth and stable profitability. The balance sheet shows reduced leverage and a strong equity base, reflecting financial stability. However, the lack of EBIT and EBITDA reporting for 2024 limits a comprehensive profitability analysis. The cash flow remains positive, but there is room for improvement in cash flow efficiency.
Income Statement
74
Positive
Stifel Financial has demonstrated a strong revenue growth with a significant increase from $4.29 billion in 2023 to $5.95 billion in 2024, reflecting a robust growth rate of 38.8%. The gross profit margin improved from 79.8% in 2023 to 51% in 2024, but there was no EBIT or EBITDA reported for 2024, which limits profitability analysis. The net profit margin in 2024 was 12.3%, up from 12.2% in 2023, indicating stable profitability.
Balance Sheet
82
Very Positive
The company maintains a strong equity position with a steady increase in stockholders' equity from $5.29 billion in 2023 to $5.69 billion in 2024. The debt-to-equity ratio decreased from 0.22 in 2023 to 0.15 in 2024, reflecting reduced leverage. The equity ratio also improved from 14% in 2023 to 14.3% in 2024, suggesting a stable capital structure.
Cash Flow
68
Positive
Stifel Financial's free cash flow grew from $447.35 million in 2023 to $490.44 million in 2024, representing a growth rate of 9.6%. The operating cash flow to net income ratio was 0.67 in 2024, down from 0.95 in 2023, indicating less cash generation from operations relative to net income. The free cash flow to net income ratio improved slightly, suggesting effective cash management.
Breakdown
Dec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021Dec 2020
Income StatementTotal Revenue
5.95B4.29B4.33B4.61B3.70B
Gross Profit
3.04B3.43B1.75B1.15B849.82M
EBIT
-2.00B769.90M979.01M1.07B651.16M
EBITDA
0.000.000.000.000.00
Net Income Common Stockholders
731.38M522.54M662.15M824.86M503.47M
Balance SheetCash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments
4.23B3.36B1.67B4.08B4.51B
Total Assets
39.90B37.73B37.20B34.05B26.60B
Total Debt
1.54B1.18B1.17B1.17B1.17B
Net Debt
-1.37B-2.19B-1.03B-789.85M-1.11B
Total Liabilities
34.21B32.43B31.87B29.01B22.37B
Stockholders Equity
5.69B5.29B5.33B5.03B4.24B
Cash FlowFree Cash Flow
416.65M447.35M1.08B683.92M1.59B
Operating Cash Flow
490.44M499.33M1.16B872.09M1.66B
Investing Cash Flow
-2.31B923.96M-4.32B-6.97B-1.69B
Financing Cash Flow
980.10M-254.58M3.19B5.79B1.20B

Stifel Financial Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Negative
Last Price93.35
Price Trends
50DMA
90.05
Positive
100DMA
97.79
Negative
200DMA
98.86
Negative
Market Momentum
MACD
0.92
Positive
RSI
50.97
Neutral
STOCH
45.41
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For SF, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 93.35 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 94.79, above the 50-day MA of 90.05, and below the 200-day MA of 98.86, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of 0.92 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 50.97 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 45.41 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for SF.

Stifel Financial Risk Analysis

Stifel Financial disclosed 27 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Stifel Financial reported the most risks in the “Finance & Corporate” category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 1 New Risks
1.
The development and use of artificial intelligence presents risks and challenges that could adversely impact our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Q4, 2024

Stifel Financial Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (64)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
HLHLI
79
Outperform
$12.17B29.9619.93%1.30%24.88%39.55%
EVEVR
74
Outperform
$9.12B22.5829.73%1.37%26.88%68.65%
LALAZ
72
Outperform
$4.11B15.2359.68%4.58%9.54%
71
Outperform
$4.55B22.3817.59%1.01%12.29%99.57%
SFSF
69
Neutral
$9.66B17.9311.48%1.83%12.85%20.21%
64
Neutral
$12.80B9.717.59%16985.66%12.07%-7.53%
JEJEF
62
Neutral
$10.16B17.076.38%3.04%16.62%139.24%
* Financial Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
SF
Stifel Financial
93.35
16.49
21.45%
EVR
Evercore Partners
235.27
42.01
21.74%
JEF
Jefferies
49.08
5.02
11.39%
LAZ
Lazard
43.22
6.37
17.29%
PIPR
Piper Sandler
254.10
51.45
25.39%
HLI
Houlihan Lokey
174.02
43.85
33.69%

Stifel Financial Corporate Events

Financial Disclosures
Stifel Financial Reports Growth in Client Assets
Neutral
Mar 27, 2025

On March 27, 2025, Stifel Financial Corp. announced its operating results for February 28, 2025, highlighting an 11% increase in total client assets to $506 billion and a 14% rise in fee-based client assets to $196 billion compared to the previous year. Despite strong investment banking pipelines, market uncertainty and volatility have impacted activity levels, with first-quarter 2025 investment banking revenue expected to match that of the first quarter of 2024.

Business Operations and StrategyFinancial Disclosures
Stifel Financial Reports Growth in Client Assets
Positive
Feb 27, 2025

On February 27, 2025, Stifel Financial Corp. reported its operating results for January 31, 2025, highlighting significant growth in client assets under administration and fee-based assets, which increased by 14% and 18% respectively, compared to the previous year. This growth was attributed to stronger markets and a robust recruiting pipeline. However, the company also noted a seasonal decline in Sweep deposits, resulting in a 4% decrease during January, while client money market and insured products saw a 7% increase from the same period last year.

Business Operations and Strategy
Stifel Financial Updates Wealth Accumulation Plan 2025
Neutral
Feb 7, 2025

On February 4, 2025, Stifel Financial Corp.’s Board of Directors’ Compensation Committee approved the Wealth Accumulation Plan 2025 Restatement, modifying certain provisions and restating previous documents. The committee also approved a Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement and a Deferred Award Agreement, potentially impacting the company’s financial structuring and stakeholder interests.

Glossary
OutperformA stock rated as "Outperform" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests that the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to the average returns of other stocks in the same sector or market index. Investors might consider this stock a good buying opportunity.
NeutralA stock rated as "Neutral" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly attractive nor unattractive for investment. Investors may consider holding onto the stock, as it is not expected to either significantly outperform or underperform the market.
UnderperformA stock rated as "Underperform" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests that the stock may deliver lower returns compared to the average returns of other stocks in the same sector or market index. Investors might consider selling the stock or avoiding it as an investment.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.