Top Financial Stocks by UQS Score

1641 stocks scored · Last updated August 23, 2026

Financial companies operate on fundamentally different economics than every other sector. Banks use leverage as a core business tool, not a risk signal. Insurance companies collect premiums before paying claims. REITs distribute most of their earnings as dividends. Standard financial metrics like ROIC and debt-to-equity ratios are misleading when applied to these businesses without adjustment. The UQS model recognizes this: financial companies are scored with sector-specific thresholds that exclude leverage-based metrics and emphasize return on equity, earnings quality, and valuation relative to book value.

Financials Sector Characteristics

The financials grouping includes banks, insurance companies, asset managers, fintech platforms, and REITs. This is the only sector where the UQS model fundamentally changes its scoring methodology — ROIC is excluded (replaced by ROE), leverage metrics like debt-to-equity and net debt/EBITDA are dropped from the risk pillar, and gross profit/total assets is excluded from quality. These adjustments are necessary because financial companies' 'raw material' is debt itself. A bank with a 15% ROE and well-managed credit risk is a fundamentally different proposition than an industrial company with 15% ROE achieved through financial engineering.

Scoring note: For financials, ROIC and leverage metrics (debt-to-equity, net debt/EBITDA) are automatically excluded from scoring — these metrics are meaningless for companies that use debt as working capital. ROE carries the quality weight instead, and the risk score focuses on solvency ratios and interest coverage.

Financials Sector Score Overview

68

Avg UQS Score

84

Avg Quality

38

Avg Moat

68

Avg Growth

75

Avg Risk

92

Avg Valuation

Top Financials Stocks: Who Leads and Why

#1RMTRoyce Micro-Cap Trust, Inc.75

Royce Micro-Cap Trust, Inc. leads the financial sector with a 75 UQS score. Its quality score of 69 reflects strong ROE-driven profitability, while its moat score of 50 captures deep competitive advantages in its financial niche.

#2MKTXMarketAxess Holdings Inc.71

MarketAxess Holdings Inc. earns a 71 overall score, with particular strength in valuation (74) suggesting the market hasn't fully priced its earnings power and growth trajectory.

#3ACICAmerican Coastal Insurance Corporation70

American Coastal Insurance Corporation scores 70, demonstrating balanced performance across quality (99), growth (60), and risk (69). Its financial stability stands out in a sector prone to cyclical swings.

#4VCXFundrise Innovation Fund, LLC70

Fundrise Innovation Fund, LLC scores 70 overall with strong returns on equity and a solid moat score, reflecting durable competitive advantages in financial services.

#5XZOExzeo Group, Inc.70

Exzeo Group, Inc. scores 70 overall with strong returns on equity and a solid moat score, reflecting durable competitive advantages in financial services.

Full Financials Ranking: Top 25 Stocks

#	Stock	UQS	Q	M	G	R	V
1	RMTRoyce Micro-Cap Trust, Inc.	75	69	50	91	91	92
2	MKTXMarketAxess Holdings Inc.	71	88	65	36	100	74
3	ACICAmerican Coastal Insurance Corporation	70	99	34	60	69	98
4	VCXFundrise Innovation Fund, LLC	70	75	24	100	100	96
5	XZOExzeo Group, Inc.	70	98	37	94	68	86
6	VINPVinci Compass Investments Ltd.	70	75	35	96	74	100
7	YBYuanbao Inc. American Depositary Shares	70	95	35	67	73	100
8	PIPRPiper Sandler Companies	70	77	27	80	100	83
9	MAMastercard Incorporated	69	85	83	72	35	51
10	OAK-PABrookfield Oaktree Holdings, LLC 6.625 % Non-Cum Red Perp Pfd Units Series A	69	91	49	58	47	100
11	HCIHCI Group, Inc.	69	100	31	50	72	100
12	FHIFederated Hermes, Inc.	68	85	34	49	99	94
13	PLGOPelagos Insurance Capital Limit	68	75	50	73	49	100
14	ABXAbacus Global Management, Inc.	68	73	25	100	64	91
15	XAU.TOGoldmoney Inc.	67	91	27	63	69	100
16	VCTRVictory Capital Holdings, Inc.	67	91	28	77	69	80
17	SBC.TOBrompton Split Banc Corp.	67	75	20	80	83	100
18	SSSSNeostellar Capital Corp.	67	75	23	63	100	100
19	HLNEHamilton Lane Incorporated	67	100	51	34	78	71
20	SWZTotal Return Securities Fund	67	80	50	43	73	100
21	HGHamilton Insurance Group, Ltd.	67	90	28	56	72	100
22	LIENChicago Atlantic BDC, Inc.	67	64	33	89	64	100
23	SKWDSkyward Specialty Insurance Group, Inc.	66	68	27	94	66	92
24	PAXPatria Investments Ltd	66	79	47	58	60	92
25	ESNTEssent Group Ltd.	66	90	42	20	100	93

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Frequently Asked Questions About Financials Stocks

Why are leverage metrics excluded for financial companies?

Banks, insurance companies, and REITs use debt as a primary business tool — a bank's deposits are technically debt, and its ability to leverage those deposits into loans is the core of its business model. A bank with a 10:1 debt-to-equity ratio isn't 'overleveraged' in the way an industrial company would be — that's how banking works. Scoring financials on standard leverage metrics would penalize them for doing their job well. Instead, the UQS model evaluates financial company risk through ROE consistency, interest coverage, and solvency ratios.

How are REITs scored differently from other stocks?

REITs are classified as financials in the UQS model, which means ROIC and leverage metrics are excluded from their scoring. This is intentional: REITs have structurally different balance sheets (required to distribute 90% of taxable income as dividends) and use mortgage debt as a core operating tool. The most informative UQS scores for REITs are typically quality (via ROE and margins), moat (property type and location advantages), and valuation (price relative to funds from operations).

What drives high UQS scores in the financial sector?

The highest-scoring financial companies combine strong ROE (indicating efficient use of shareholder capital) with wide moats (switching costs, regulatory barriers, scale advantages) and attractive valuations. Banks with dominant deposit franchises, insurance companies with disciplined underwriting, and asset managers with sticky AUM bases tend to score well. Growth can also differentiate — fintech companies with expanding market share often score higher on growth than traditional banks.