Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. ECPG scored 82.0, SYF scored 85.0 — SYF leads.
Compare another set
ECPG
Encore Capital Group, Inc.
Credit Services · Financial strength
67.3Fin
$99.77 · $2.1B
fundamentals as of
Strength gap
5.7
SYF leads
SYF
Synchrony Financial
Credit Services · Financial strength
73Fin
$72.80 · $23.7B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
CheapestSYF7.5x
Fastest growthECPG+34.4%
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
ECPG
SYF
$125mC
FCF
$9.7bB+
+34.4%A
Rev
-0.5%D+
3.88D
D/E
—
7.6xA
P/E
7.5xA
0.17A
PEG
0.90B+
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
ECPGEncore Capital Group, Inc.
Credit Services · $99.77 · beta 1.31
Why now
Credit Services · market cap $2.1b. 5% off the 52-week high of $104.98. Revenue growing +34% — in hypergrowth territory. PEG 0.17 — paying under fair value for the growth rate. 3 sell-side analysts publish a mean 1-yr target of $115.67 (implying +16% upside).
Moat
Net margin 16% beats the market median by a meaningful margin — the company is keeping more of every revenue dollar than the average S&P constituent. ROE 31% — top-decile capital efficiency. Either pricing leverage, low capital intensity, or aggressive buybacks; the durability story depends on which.
Risk
D/E 3.88 is elevated — limits strategic flexibility and raises refinancing exposure if rates stay higher for longer. Credit-cycle exposure — provisions tend to lag actual loan deterioration by 2-3 quarters; a sharp uptick in net charge-offs is a leading indicator the market often misses until it's already priced.
SYFSynchrony Financial
Credit Services · $72.80 · beta 1.34
Why now
Credit Services · market cap $23.7b. 18% off the 52-week high of $88.77. PEG 0.90 — paying under fair value for the growth rate. 24 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $88.17 (implying +21% upside).
Moat
Net margin 36% is exceptional — pricing-power territory rare outside premium software, branded staples, and specialty pharma. ROE 21% is above 15% — the equity base is compounding at a rate the market struggles to discount accurately. Free cash flow runs well ahead of reported net income.
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.
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 SYF or ECPG the better stock?
SYF scores higher: SYF 85.0, ECPG 82.0 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 SYF and ECPG 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.