COMPARE · Data as of August 28, 2026
COLB vs ZION
Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. COLB scored 79.0, ZION scored 74.0 — COLB leads.
Compare another set
COLB
Columbia Banking System, Inc.
71.1Fin
$30.07 · $8.5B
fundamentals as of
Strength gap
2.9
ZION leads
ZION
Zions Bancorporation, National Association
74Fin
$67.80 · $9.9B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
- CheapestZION8.6x
- Fastest growthCOLB+19.3%
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
COLB
ZION
+19.3%B+
Rev
+8.1%B
11.8xB+
P/E
8.6xA-
11.0%B
ROE
16.4%B+
1.15B+
P/B
1.30B+
4.8%B+
Yield
2.8%B
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
COLBColumbia Banking System, Inc.
Why now
Banks - Regional · market cap $8.5b. 11% off the 52-week high of $33.68. Revenue growing +19%, comfortably above the S&P median. 14 sell-side analysts publish a mean 1-yr target of $34.14 (implying +14% upside).
Moat
Net margin 28% sits well above the S&P median (~11%) — suggests structural pricing advantage or cost discipline competitors can't quickly close. ROE 11% meets the long-run market sustainable threshold — solid but not differentiated; the durability comes from elsewhere. Financial moat — scale of deposit base / underwriting franchise plus regulatory capital advantages. The largest players compound book value through cycles that erase smaller competitors.
Risk
Balance-sheet financial — book value, net interest margin, and credit loss provisions are the lever points; a rates regime change or a deterioration in the loan book moves the stock more than EPS does.
ZIONZions Bancorporation, National Association
Why now
Banks - Regional · market cap $9.9b. 8% off the 52-week high of $73.34. 21 sell-side analysts rate this a Hold with a mean 1-yr target of $74.95 (implying +11% upside).
Moat
Net margin 32% is exceptional — pricing-power territory rare outside premium software, branded staples, and specialty pharma. ROE 16% sits above Buffett's preferred 15% threshold — the equity base is compounding at a rate the market struggles to discount accurately. Financial moat — scale of deposit base / underwriting franchise plus regulatory capital advantages. The largest players compound book value through cycles that erase smaller competitors.
Risk
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
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