STEP vs TROW Stock Comparison
TROW currently leads STEP in this stock comparison, with AIQ scores of 59 vs 57. The clearest difference is value, while STEP has the stronger quality profile.
What is the main difference between STEP and TROW?
TROW leads the current stock comparison as T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., with the clearest separation coming from value and the broader AIQ evidence mix.
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
StepStone Group Inc. vs T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.
TROW leads
TROW leads by 2 AIQ points, primarily on Value and Risk Resilience, but the lead has narrowed from 8 points over 30 sessions. Wall Street currently favors STEP on target upside.
Fragile: 4 of 6 evidence groups support TROW, its lead is narrowing, and its current signal state is conflicted.
StepStone Group Inc.
T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.
The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors TROW over STEP, 59 versus 57 as of Oct 21, 2026. TROW's advantage is driven primarily by stronger value and risk resilience, while STEP holds the stronger quality profile. TROW also shows the stronger technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average, though analyst target upside currently favors STEP. 4 of 6 covered evidence groups favor TROW today, and the comparison is rated Fragile on stability: the AIQ gap is narrow at 2 points. TROW lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 8 to 2 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
Total return with distributions reinvested, from daily closes.
Total return comparison
Growth of $10,000, distributions reinvested
Split-adjusted closes; each distribution is reinvested at the close on its ex-dividend date. Taxes and trading costs are not modeled.
Compare STEP and TROW against another ticker
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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.
- Value30 vs 52TROW +22
- Quality97 vs 80STEP +17
- Risk Resilience58 vs 70TROW +12
- Momentum40 vs 37Even
4 of 6 evidence groups favor TROW. TROW’s edge is concentrated in value and risk resilience; STEP keeps a meaningful quality edge.
What changed since the last close
Latest scored session 2026-10-20, compared against the prior scored session 2026-10-19.
Largest factor move: Momentum +2
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 5 active signals are unchanged.
Largest factor move: Momentum +9
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 3 active signals are unchanged.
TROW's lead widened by 1 AIQ point in the latest session.
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
TROW (T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.): the stronger current systematic profile, led by value and risk resilience.
STEP (StepStone Group Inc.): the counter-case, on quality, analyst expectations — but at materially higher volatility, 35.4% against 19.7%.
The AIQ Score and Wall Street therefore point in different directions on this pair.
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
TROWTROW 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 22 points.
Momentum
EvenThe two are level on Momentum.
Lower downside
TROWTROW on Risk Resilience, by 12 points.
Analyst upside
STEPSTEP on implied upside to the consensus price target.
AIQ vs Wall Street
The model and the Street disagree here: AIQ favors TROW, analyst targets favor STEP. That disagreement is the most useful thing on this page.
| Measure | STEP | TROW | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implied upside to target | +46.2% | +6.2% | STEP has more room |
| Target dispersion | +56.5% | +29.2% | Lower is tighter analyst agreement |
| Consensus | Buy | Hold | Context, not a primary driver |
| Analysts covering | 8 | 6 | Higher coverage generally improves confidence |
The two are measuring different things. The AIQ Score reads current fundamentals, valuation, trend and risk; analyst targets price forward expectations. A divergence of this kind is either a contrarian opportunity or a sign the model is missing something already priced in — it is worth resolving before acting on either.
Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions. Dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
4 of 6 covered evidence groups favor TROW. 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 | 57 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 52 |
| Technicals | TROW | Price vs 50-day -10% vs -3.3%; vs 200-day -15.1% vs -1.6% |
| Risk Resilience | TROW | Risk Resilience 58 vs 70 |
| Analyst expectations | STEP | Target upside 46.2% vs 6.2% |
✓ 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 2 points. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- The leader's advantage has been narrowing. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- The leader is throwing conflicting signals. (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 TROW.
How the comparison changed
120 daily snapshots · Jun 21 – Oct 20TROW lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 8 to 2 points over 30 sessions.
- Today
- TROW +2
- 57 vs 59
- 7 sessions ago
- TROW +2
- 56 vs 58
- 30 sessions ago
- TROW +8
- 52 vs 60
- 90 sessions ago
- STEP +3
- 60 vs 57
The lead changed hands 7 times in this window, most recently on Sep 17 when TROW moved ahead of STEP.
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 / 3 bearish / 2 neutral
Only STEP
- Death Cross Active — bearish, trend, long horizon (7.28%)
- ATR Expansion - Breakout Mode — neutral, volatility, short horizon (4.72%)
- Downtrend Structure Active — bearish, trend, long horizon
1 bullish / 1 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted
Only TROW
- Golden Cross Active — bullish, trend, long horizon (2.94%)
Both carry 2 more signals that do not separate them: Bollinger Band Squeeze, MACD Bearish Crossover.
TROW leads the comparison while carrying a conflicted signal state, which is one reason the stability rating is not higher.
Price vs model alignment
Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.
Price is down while the AIQ Score moved up 1 points over the same session — price and model disagree (price -1.26%, AIQ +1 points).
Price and the AIQ Score both moved up over the latest session (price +1.14%, AIQ +2 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.
- 1STEP closes the Value gap — currently 22 points behind, the largest single contributor to TROW's edge.
- 2STEP's Death Cross Active resolves — a bearish trend rule currently active against it.
- 3TROW's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 1 bullish and 1 bearish rules at once.
- 4The narrowing continues — the lead has already given back 6 points over 30 sessions, and a further 2-point move would eliminate TROW's advantage entirely.
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) | 1.7% | 0.7% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | -7.8% | -2% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | 4.5% | -12% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | -22.4% | 3% |
| Year to date | -33.1% | -0.2% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | -30.5% | -1% |
Technicals
TROW has the stronger structure| Metric | STEP | TROW |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 48.1 | 44.1 |
| ADX (14) | 16.6 | 34.4 |
| Price vs 50-day | -10% | -3.3% |
| Price vs 200-day | -15.1% | -1.6% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 35.4% | 19.7% |
Risk
TROW is the more resilient| Metric | STEP | TROW |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | 1.67 | 0.82 |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.6 | -0.11 |
| Sortino ratio | -0.89 | -0.15 |
| Max drawdown | -48.2% | -20.9% |
| Current drawdown | -43.7% | -16.1% |
| Annualized volatility | 47.7% | 23.8% |
| Value at risk (95%) | -4.7% | -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, TROW is the stronger of the two as of Oct 21, 2026, scoring 59 against STEP's 57. The edge comes from value and risk resilience. STEP is not without a case — it holds the better quality 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?
TROW carries the stronger systematic profile as of Oct 21, 2026, and the comparison is rated Fragile — 4 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. A Fragile rating means the conclusion is sensitive: the AIQ gap is narrow at 2 points. Treat the lead as provisional.
Why does the AIQ Score favor TROW over STEP?
The composite weights Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience. TROW leads Value by 22 points; STEP leads Quality by 17 points; TROW leads Risk Resilience by 12 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 +46.2% upside for STEP and +6.2% for TROW, so the Street currently favors STEP. That points the opposite way to the AIQ Score, which favors TROW. The two are measuring different things: the model reads current fundamentals, valuation, trend and risk; the Street is pricing forward expectations. A divergence of this kind is either a contrarian opportunity or a sign the model is missing something the analysts have already priced — it is the single most useful row on this page to investigate. 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 22 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?
The two are level on Momentum. 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 12 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 TROW's lead over STEP getting stronger or weaker?
TROW lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 8 to 2 points over 30 sessions. This is measured from 120 daily comparison snapshots between 2026-06-21 and 2026-10-20. The lead has changed hands 7 times in that window, most recently on 2026-09-17, when TROW moved ahead of STEP.
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: STEP closes the Value gap — currently 22 points behind, the largest single contributor to TROW's edge; STEP's Death Cross Active resolves — a bearish trend rule currently active against it; TROW's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 1 bullish and 1 bearish rules at once; the narrowing continues — the lead has already given back 6 points over 30 sessions, and a further 2-point move would eliminate TROW's advantage entirely.
What do the current signals say about STEP and TROW?
STEP: 0 bullish / 3 bearish / 2 neutral. TROW: 1 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.