Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. NTRS scored 70.0, MAIN scored 72.0 — MAIN leads.
Compare another set
NTRS
Northern Trust Corporation
Asset Management · Financial strength
73.5Fin
$160.84 · $29.4B
fundamentals as of
Strength gap
12.0
MAIN leads
MAIN
Main Street Capital Corporation
Asset Management · Financial strength
85.5Fin
$53.77 · $5.0B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
CheapestMAIN10.8x
Fastest growthMAIN-1.6%
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
NTRS
MAIN
-2.5%D+
Rev
-1.6%D+
13.8xB
P/E
10.8xB+
17.1%B+
ROE
14.3%B
2.47C+
P/B
1.58B
1.9%C+
Yield
5.9%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
NTRSNorthern Trust Corporation
Asset Management · $160.84 · beta 1.25
Why now
Asset Management · market cap $29.4b. 18% off the 52-week high of $195.78. PEG 0.95 — paying under fair value for the growth rate. 14 sell-side analysts rate this a Hold with a mean 1-yr target of $181.71 (implying +13% upside).
Moat
Net margin 25% sits well above the S&P median (~11%) — suggests structural pricing advantage or cost discipline competitors can't quickly close. ROE 17% is above 15% — the equity base is compounding at a rate the market struggles to discount accurately.
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.
MAINMain Street Capital Corporation
Asset Management · $53.77 · 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 5.9% 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 MAIN or NTRS the better stock?
MAIN scores higher: MAIN 72.0, NTRS 70.0 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 MAIN and NTRS 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.