WallStSmart

Capital One Financial Corporation (COF)vsLam Research Corp (LRCX)

VS

Smart Verdict

WallStSmart Research — data-driven comparison

Capital One Financial Corporation generates 59% more annual revenue ($32.78B vs $20.56B). LRCX leads profitability with a 30.2% profit margin vs 7.5%. COF appears more attractively valued with a PEG of 0.19. COF earns a higher WallStSmart Score of 75/100 (B+).

COF

Strong Buy

75

out of 100

Grade: B+

Growth: 9.3Profit: 5.0Value: 4.7Quality: 5.0

LRCX

Strong Buy

74

out of 100

Grade: B

Growth: 7.3Profit: 10.0Value: 8.0Quality: 7.8
Piotroski: 6/9Altman Z: 4.65
IV

Intrinsic Value Comparison

Multi-model valuation · Graham Formula

COFSignificantly Overvalued (-50.8%)

Margin of Safety

-50.8%

Fair Value

$142.20

Current Price

$185.23

$43.03 premium

UndervaluedFair: $142.20Overvalued
LRCXFair Value (-2.4%)

Margin of Safety

-2.4%

Fair Value

$227.92

Current Price

$233.45

$5.53 premium

UndervaluedFair: $227.92Overvalued

Key Strengths & Concerns

Side-by-side fundamental analysis

Key Strengths

COF6 strengths · Avg: 9.2/10
PEG RatioValuation
0.1910/10

Growing faster than its price suggests

Price/BookValuation
1.1x10/10

Reasonable price relative to book value

Revenue GrowthGrowth
51.6%10/10

Revenue surging 51.6% year-over-year

Market CapQuality
$112.86B9/10

Large-cap with strong market position

Operating MarginProfitability
22.9%8/10

Strong operational efficiency at 22.9%

EPS GrowthGrowth
22.2%8/10

Earnings expanding 22.2% YoY

LRCX6 strengths · Avg: 9.7/10
Market CapQuality
$299.99B10/10

Mega-cap, among the largest globally

Return on EquityProfitability
65.6%10/10

Every $100 of equity generates 66 in profit

Profit MarginProfitability
30.2%10/10

Keeps 30 of every $100 in revenue as profit

Operating MarginProfitability
33.9%10/10

Strong operational efficiency at 33.9%

Altman Z-ScoreHealth
4.6510/10

Safe zone — low bankruptcy risk

Revenue GrowthGrowth
22.1%8/10

Revenue surging 22.1% year-over-year

Areas to Watch

COF3 concerns · Avg: 2.7/10
Return on EquityProfitability
2.4%3/10

ROE of 2.4% — below average capital efficiency

Profit MarginProfitability
7.5%3/10

7.5% margin — thin

P/E RatioValuation
54.0x2/10

Premium valuation, high expectations priced in

LRCX3 concerns · Avg: 2.7/10
PEG RatioValuation
1.644/10

Expensive relative to growth rate

P/E RatioValuation
49.0x2/10

Premium valuation, high expectations priced in

Price/BookValuation
28.8x2/10

Trading at 28.8x book value

Comparative Analysis Report

WallStSmart Research

Bull Case : COF

The strongest argument for COF centers on PEG Ratio, Price/Book, Revenue Growth. Revenue growth of 51.6% demonstrates continued momentum. PEG of 0.19 suggests the stock is reasonably priced for its growth.

Bull Case : LRCX

The strongest argument for LRCX centers on Market Cap, Return on Equity, Profit Margin. Profitability is solid with margins at 30.2% and operating margin at 33.9%. Revenue growth of 22.1% demonstrates continued momentum.

Bear Case : COF

The primary concerns for COF are Return on Equity, Profit Margin, P/E Ratio. A P/E of 54.0x leaves little room for execution misses.

Bear Case : LRCX

The primary concerns for LRCX are PEG Ratio, P/E Ratio, Price/Book. A P/E of 49.0x leaves little room for execution misses.

Key Dynamics to Monitor

COF profiles as a hypergrowth stock while LRCX is a growth play — different risk/reward profiles.

LRCX carries more volatility with a beta of 1.79 — expect wider price swings.

COF is growing revenue faster at 51.6% — sustainability is the question.

COF generates stronger free cash flow (6.7B), providing more financial flexibility.

Bottom Line

COF scores higher overall (75/100 vs 74/100) and 51.6% revenue growth. Both earn "Strong Buy" and "Strong Buy" ratings respectively — the choice depends on your investment horizon and risk tolerance.

This analysis is generated from publicly available financial data. Not financial advice.

Capital One Financial Corporation

FINANCIAL SERVICES · CREDIT SERVICES · USA

Capital One Financial Corporation is an American bank holding company specializing in credit cards, auto loans, banking, and savings accounts, headquartered in McLean, Virginia with operations primarily in the United States.

Lam Research Corp

TECHNOLOGY · SEMICONDUCTOR EQUIPMENT & MATERIALS · USA

Lam Research Corporation is an American corporation that engages in the design, manufacture, marketing, and service of semiconductor processing equipment used in the fabrication of integrated circuits. Its products are used primarily in front-end wafer processing, which involves the steps that create the active components of semiconductor devices (transistors, capacitors) and their wiring (interconnects). The company also builds equipment for back-end wafer-level packaging (WLP), and for related manufacturing markets such as for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). The company is headquartered in Fremont, California, in the Silicon Valley.

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