Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. APAM scored 80.0, MAIN scored 72.0 — APAM leads.
Compare another set
APAM
Artisan Partners Asset Management Inc.
Asset Management · Financial strength
90.1Fin
$32.13 · $2.3B
fundamentals as of
Strength gap
4.7
APAM leads
MAIN
Main Street Capital Corporation
Asset Management · Financial strength
85.4Fin
$53.74 · $5.0B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
CheapestAPAM7.7x
Fastest growthAPAM+7.6%
Side by side · every name on one set of axes
Growth against the P/E multiple. Up and to the right is cheaper and faster — the quality-growth idea in one picture. Points beyond the axis are pinned to the edge and marked off-scale rather than allowed to compress everything else.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
APAM
MAIN
+7.6%B
Rev
-1.6%D+
7.7xA
P/E
10.9xB+
64.6%A
ROE
14.3%B
5.66D
P/B
1.58B
10.3%C+
Yield
5.8%A-
Winner per row is the stronger grade; where grades tie, the better figure breaks it. A true tie or a missing value shows no highlight.
The companies
APAMArtisan Partners Asset Management Inc.
Asset Management · $32.13 · beta 1.69
Why now
Asset Management · market cap $2.3b. Down 31% from 52-week high of $46.53 — deep drawdown territory. 4 sell-side analysts rate this a Hold with a mean 1-yr target of $38.50 (implying +20% upside).
Moat
Net margin 24% sits well above the S&P median (~11%) — suggests structural pricing advantage or cost discipline competitors can't quickly close. ROE 65% — top-decile capital efficiency. Either pricing leverage, low capital intensity, or aggressive buybacks; the durability story depends on which.
Risk
Down 31% from the 52-week high — the market is pricing in something the screen can't see; verify the bear case before sizing up. Beta 1.69 implies above-market volatility — position-size to the drawdowns this name will produce in a market correction, not to its bull-case return. Dividend payout 82% of earnings on a 10.3% yield — distribution coverage is thin; one earnings stumble could force a dividend cut.
MAINMain Street Capital Corporation
Asset Management · $53.74 · beta 0.75
Why now
Asset Management · market cap $5.0b. 18% off the 52-week high of $65.23. 7 sell-side analysts rate this a Hold with a mean 1-yr target of $59.86 (implying +11% upside).
Moat
Net margin 78% is exceptional — pricing-power territory rare outside premium software, branded staples, and specialty pharma. ROE 14% meets the long-run market sustainable threshold — solid but not differentiated; the durability comes from elsewhere.
Risk
Dividend payout 86% of earnings on a 5.8% yield — distribution coverage is thin; one earnings stumble could force a dividend cut. Regulatory capital risk — stricter capital requirements (CCAR, Basel) can force a dividend cut or a capital raise; the largest banks are most exposed because they're held to the tightest standards.
Verdict — model-derived comparison
Generating verdict… typically 5–10 seconds
Not investment advice. The Bull Rankings publishes a quantitative ranking model and accompanying analysis for general informational purposes only. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security; nothing is personalized to your circumstances, risk tolerance, or tax situation. Investing carries the risk of loss — invest at your own risk and consider consulting a licensed financial professional before acting on anything you read here. See terms and methodology for full disclosures.
Common questions
Is APAM or MAIN the better stock?
APAM scores higher: APAM 80.0, MAIN 72.0 out of 100 on the Bull Rankings quality-growth score, which blends business quality, growth and valuation into one number. A higher score means a stronger business at a more reasonable price — it is not a price target or a recommendation.
How are APAM and MAIN scored?
Each carries the same 0–100 quality-growth score used everywhere on the site, built from three pillars — quality (profitability and returns on capital), growth (revenue and earnings), and value (what you pay for them) — combined as a geometric mean, so a weak pillar cannot be papered over by a strong one.
How current is this comparison?
The whole universe is re-scored every trading day after the US market close, so the scores and fundamentals here reflect the latest published edition.