STEP vs TROW Stock Comparison
Compare STEP and TROW across AIQ Score, fundamentals, valuation, momentum, risk, analyst expectations and current market evidence.
What is the main difference between STEP and TROW?
STEP leads the current stock comparison as StepStone Group Inc., with the clearest separation coming from momentum and the broader AIQ evidence mix.
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
StepStone Group Inc. vs T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.
STEP leads
STEP leads by 1 AIQ points, primarily on Momentum and Quality.
Fragile: 1 of 6 evidence groups support STEP.
StepStone Group Inc.
T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.
The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors STEP over TROW, 60 versus 59 as of Sep 11, 2026. STEP's advantage is driven primarily by stronger momentum and quality, while TROW holds the stronger value profile. STEP also shows the stronger technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average. 1 of 6 covered evidence groups favor STEP today, and the comparison is rated Fragile on stability: the AIQ gap is narrow at 1 points. STEP lead: Stable — the AIQ differential has held near 1 points over 30 sessions.
Compare StepStone Group Inc. and T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. across the Algovestiq AIQ Score, valuation, quality, momentum, risk, technicals and analyst expectations.
Performance over time
Price-return comparison using available daily close history.
Total return comparison
Growth of $10,000
Based on available close-price history. Distribution reinvestment is not added unless already reflected in the source series.
Compare STEP and TROW against another ticker
Open a multi-ticker workspace without changing this focused pair page.
AIQ Factor Divergence
Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.
- Momentum56 vs 31STEP +25
- Value30 vs 53TROW +23
- Risk Resilience55 vs 73TROW +18
- Quality97 vs 80STEP +17
1 of 6 evidence groups favor STEP. STEP’s edge is concentrated in momentum and quality; TROW keeps a meaningful value edge.
What changed since the last close
Latest scored session 2026-09-10, compared against the prior scored session 2026-09-09.
Largest factor move: Momentum +1
No new signals fired.
No factor moved materially.
No new signals fired.
STEP's lead was unchanged in the latest snapshot.
Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — STEP and TROW both carry a full feed there.
The central trade-off
STEP (StepStone Group Inc.): the stronger current systematic profile, led by momentum and quality.
TROW (T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.): the counter-case, on value, risk resilience, fundamentals.
Which one fits your objective
The same two names rank differently depending on what you are optimizing for. All six reads are shown at once — none of them is hidden behind a toggle.
Balanced
STEPSTEP on the overall AIQ Score, which weights Quality and Value most heavily.
Growth
TROWTROW on combined revenue and EPS growth.
Value
TROWTROW on the peer-relative Value factor, by 23 points.
Momentum
STEPSTEP on the Momentum factor, by 25 points.
Lower downside
TROWTROW on Risk Resilience, by 18 points.
Analyst upside
STEPSTEP on implied upside to the consensus price target.
AIQ vs Wall Street
Where the systematic read and the analyst consensus line up — and where they do not.
| Measure | STEP | TROW | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implied upside to target | +27.1% | +0.4% | STEP has more room |
| Target dispersion | +56.3% | +31.9% | Lower is tighter analyst agreement |
| Consensus | Buy | Sell | Context, not a primary driver |
| Analysts covering | 6 | 6 | Higher coverage generally improves confidence |
Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions. Dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
1 of 6 covered evidence groups favor STEP. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.
| Evidence group | Favors | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| AIQ Score | Even | 60 vs 59 |
| Fundamentals | TROWon balance | revenue growth -35.6% vs 2.7%; EPS growth -13.5% vs 29.1%; TTM ROE 156.7% vs 20.4%; gross margin 60.9% vs 70.7%; operating margin -58.2% vs 30.3% — TROW takes 4 of 5 decided legs, not all of them |
| Valuation | TROW | Value 30 vs 53 |
| Technicals | Even | Price vs 50-day 4.9% vs -6.9%; vs 200-day -7.3% vs 3.6% |
| Risk Resilience | TROW | Risk Resilience 55 vs 73 |
| Analyst expectations | STEP | Target upside 27.1% vs 0.4% |
✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of STEP and TROW and are excluded from the count.
AIQ Decision Stability
The conclusion is sensitive to small changes. Treat the lead as provisional and watch the flip conditions below.
- The AIQ gap is narrow at 1 points. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- Only 1 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- The lead has been steady session to session. (supports the conclusion holding)
- Signal direction runs against the verdict: the leader is net-bearish while the laggard is net-bullish. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
Stability combines the score gap, how broadly the evidence agrees, how steady the lead has been across daily snapshots, the current signal state on both names, and analyst dispersion on STEP.
How the comparison changed
119 daily snapshots · May 4 – Sep 10STEP lead: Stable — the AIQ differential has held near 1 points over 30 sessions.
- Today
- STEP +1
- 60 vs 59
- 7 sessions ago
- Level
- 62 vs 62
- 30 sessions ago
- STEP +3
- 61 vs 58
- 90 sessions ago
- TROW +18
- 53 vs 71
The lead changed hands 6 times in this window, most recently on Aug 27 when STEP moved ahead of TROW.
AIQ Signal Divergence
Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.
0 bullish / 2 bearish / 2 neutral
- Death Cross Active — bearish, trend, long horizon (14.11%)
- Bollinger Band Squeeze — neutral, volatility, short horizon
- ATR Expansion - Breakout Mode — neutral, volatility, short horizon (4.22%)
3 bullish / 1 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted
- Golden Cross Active — bullish, trend, long horizon (10.03%)
- Bollinger Band Squeeze — neutral, volatility, short horizon
- BB Lower Band Breach — bullish, volatility, short horizon
TROW is conflicted, so the timing case there is weaker than the score alone suggests.
Price vs model alignment
Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.
Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price -0.85%, AIQ 0 points).
Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price -1.17%, AIQ 0 points).
What would flip this result
A state, not a forecast. These are the specific, observable changes that would reverse the verdict — not a price prediction.
- 1TROW closes the Momentum gap — currently 25 points behind, the largest single contributor to STEP's edge.
- 2TROW's Bollinger Band Squeeze turns directional — it is neutral today and would confirm a change in trend.
- 3STEP starts generating bearish momentum or trend signals.
- 4A regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
The full evidence
Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.
Fundamentals
TROW leads on balance| Metric | STEP | TROW |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth (YoY) | -35.6% | 2.7% |
| EPS growth (YoY) | -13.5% | 29.1% |
| Gross margin | 60.9% | 70.7% |
| Operating margin | -58.2% | 30.3% |
| Return on equity (TTM) | 156.7% | 20.4% |
| Debt to equity | -2.91 | 0.04 |
Performance
TROW leads 4 of 6 windows| Metric | STEP | TROW |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (5 sessions) | -2.3% | -1.7% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | 2.6% | -3.5% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | 16.5% | 1.1% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | 8.5% | 20.4% |
| Year to date | -23.1% | 5% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | -20.2% | -0.6% |
Technicals
Split| Metric | STEP | TROW |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 52.4 | 29.4 |
| ADX (14) | 24.2 | 23.6 |
| Price vs 50-day | 4.9% | -6.9% |
| Price vs 200-day | -7.3% | 3.6% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 46.1% | 14.1% |
Risk
TROW is the more resilient| Metric | STEP | TROW |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | 1.67 | 0.88 |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.27 | -0.03 |
| Sortino ratio | -0.4 | -0.03 |
| Max drawdown | -48.2% | -20.9% |
| Current drawdown | -35.3% | -11.6% |
| Annualized volatility | 48.6% | 24.2% |
| Value at risk (95%) | -4.8% | -2.4% |
Straight answers
Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.
Which is better, STEP or TROW?
On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, STEP is the stronger of the two as of Sep 11, 2026, scoring 60 against TROW's 59. The edge comes from momentum and quality. TROW is not without a case — it holds the better value profile, which matters more if that is the objective you are optimizing for. This is a systematic score, not a recommendation: it ranks the two on the same evidence, it does not know your holding period or tax position.
Is STEP or TROW the better buy right now?
STEP carries the stronger systematic profile as of Sep 11, 2026, and the comparison is rated Fragile — 1 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. A Fragile rating means the conclusion is sensitive: the AIQ gap is narrow at 1 points. Treat the lead as provisional.
Why does the AIQ Score favor STEP over TROW?
The composite weights Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience. STEP leads Momentum by 25 points; TROW leads Value by 23 points; TROW leads Risk Resilience by 18 points. Where the two split, the factor with the larger weight carries the result.
Which has more analyst upside, STEP or TROW?
Analyst price targets imply +27.1% upside for STEP and +0.4% for TROW, so the Street currently favors STEP. The model and the Street agree here, which is a broader base of evidence than either alone. Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions, and dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
Which is better value, STEP or TROW?
TROW is the better-valued of the two on the peer-relative Value factor. TROW on the peer-relative Value factor, by 23 points. The Value factor reads valuation relative to sector peers and to the company's own fundamental quality, so it is not the same as simply having the lower multiple.
Which has stronger growth, STEP or TROW?
TROW on combined revenue and EPS growth. Growth here is measured on reported revenue and earnings, not on forward estimates — it describes what the businesses have delivered, not what the Street expects next.
Which has stronger momentum, STEP or TROW?
STEP on the Momentum factor, by 25 points. Momentum is one of the four weighted factors in the AIQ composite. It has documented persistence over three- to twelve-month horizons, which makes it a timing input rather than a reason to hold something indefinitely.
Which is riskier, STEP or TROW?
TROW is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. TROW on Risk Resilience, by 18 points. Risk Resilience is a weighted factor in the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.
Is STEP more profitable than TROW?
The profitability evidence is mixed: gross margin 60.9% vs 70.7%; operating margin -58.2% vs 30.3%; ttm roe 156.7% vs 20.4%. STEP leads on one measure and TROW on two measures, and there is no single profitability composite that resolves the split — which of the two reads as "more profitable" depends on whether you weight pricing power or operating leverage.
Is STEP's lead over TROW getting stronger or weaker?
STEP lead: Stable — the AIQ differential has held near 1 points over 30 sessions. This is measured from 119 daily comparison snapshots between 2026-05-04 and 2026-09-10. The lead has changed hands 6 times in that window, most recently on 2026-08-27, when STEP moved ahead of TROW.
What would change the STEP vs TROW verdict?
The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: TROW closes the Momentum gap — currently 25 points behind, the largest single contributor to STEP's edge; TROW's Bollinger Band Squeeze turns directional — it is neutral today and would confirm a change in trend; STEP starts generating bearish momentum or trend signals; a regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
What do the current signals say about STEP and TROW?
STEP: 0 bullish / 2 bearish / 2 neutral. TROW: 3 bullish / 1 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted. A conflicted state means bullish and bearish rules are active on the same name at once — the technical evidence is not pointing one way, and a decision taken on it carries more timing risk. The most decision-relevant rule on STEP is Death Cross Active (bearish, long horizon). On TROW it is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon).
Compare STEP and TROW with others
Continue your research
This page answers which of the two. These answer the questions on either side of it.
How this comparison is scored
The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk, each carrying a fixed weight. Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.
The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.
How to use side-by-side comparison →This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.