Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. SLM scored 63.0, ECPG scored 81.0 — ECPG leads.
Compare another set
SLM
SLM Corporation
Credit Services · Financial strength
74.8Fin
$22.70 · $4.3B
fundamentals as of
Strength gap
7.7
SLM leads
ECPG
Encore Capital Group, Inc.
Credit Services · Financial strength
67.1Fin
$105.60 · $2.2B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
Fastest growthECPG+34.4%
Strongest balance sheetSLM2.36
Side by side · every name on one set of axes
Fundamentals, head-to-head
SLM
ECPG
-$325mF
FCF
$125mC
+7.3%B
Rev
+34.4%A
2.36C
D/E
3.88D
2.5xB+
P/S
—
—
PEG
0.17A
—
P/E
8.0xA-
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
SLMSLM Corporation
Credit Services · $22.70 · beta 0.98
Why now
Credit Services · market cap $4.3b. Down 27% from 52-week high of $31.06 — deep drawdown territory. 11 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $28.45 (implying +25% upside).
Moat
Net margin 44% is exceptional — pricing-power territory rare outside premium software, branded staples, and specialty pharma. ROE 30% — top-decile capital efficiency. Either pricing leverage, low capital intensity, or aggressive buybacks; the durability story depends on which.
Risk
D/E 2.36 is elevated — limits strategic flexibility and raises refinancing exposure if rates stay higher for longer. Free cash flow is negative (-$325m) — capital raises or debt issuance likely required; dilution / leverage 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.
ECPGEncore Capital Group, Inc.
Credit Services · $105.60 · beta 1.31
Why now
Credit Services · market cap $2.2b. Trading near 52-week high of $105.74 — momentum setup, limited technical margin of safety. 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 +10% 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. Trading within 0% of the 52-week high — limited technical margin of safety; a momentum reversal would test conviction. 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.
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 ECPG or SLM the better stock?
ECPG scores higher: ECPG 81.0, SLM 63.0 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 ECPG and SLM 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.