STEP
NEUTRAL
$54.97
Live
StepStone Group Inc. · NASDAQ
Target $71.12
(+29.4%)
$40.58
52W Range
$77.8
At a glance
Key valuation, profitability, growth, and risk metrics.
Updated Apr 20, 2026
Market cap
$6.87B
P/E
N/A
ROE
-65.1%
Profit margin
-30.7%
Debt/Equity
0.73
Dividend yield
2.69%
AI Analysis
AI-powered fundamental assessment
Confidence
85%
StepStone Group presents a stark contrast between explosive growth and deteriorating fundamental health, evidenced by a weak Piotroski F-Score of 3/9. While revenue growth is exceptional at 73% YoY and analysts maintain a strong buy rating, the company suffers from negative profit margins, negative ROE, and a current ratio below 1.0. The dividend is currently unsustainable with a payout ratio of 167.21%, and heavy insider selling by the CEO and COO suggests a lack of confidence at current valuation levels. The stock is essentially a high-growth play with significant balance sheet risks.
Key Strengths
Exceptional revenue growth of 73% YoY
Strong EPS growth trajectory (+47.7% YoY)
Consistent history of beating quarterly earnings estimates
Strong analyst support with a 'strong_buy' consensus
Significant 3-year price appreciation (+171.4%)
Key Risks
Weak financial health indicated by Piotroski F-Score of 3/9
Unsustainable dividend payout ratio of 167.21%
Negative shareholders' equity (Price/Book of -11.63)
Bearish insider sentiment with $28.48M in recent sales
Liquidity risk with a current ratio of 0.67
AI Fair Value Estimate
Based on comprehensive analysis
$61.0
+11.0% above current price
Performance Snowflake
Multi-dimensional analysis across 5 key categories
Overall
46
Moderate
40
88
65
20
15
AI Verdict
Speculative Growth
Key drivers: Hyper-growth revenue, Poor balance sheet health, Insider divestment, Negative profitability
Confidence
90%
Value
40/100
Trades at a premium to book value (which is negative), relying entirely on forward earnings expectations.
Positives
- Reasonable Forward P/E of 21.89
Watchpoints
- Negative Price/Book ratio
- Lack of current earnings (P/E N/A)
Future
88/100
Growth metrics are the primary driver of the current stock price.
Positives
- 73% Revenue growth
- Strong EPS surprise track record
Watchpoints
- Dependence on continued hyper-growth to offset losses
Past
65/100
Historical price action is bullish, but recent momentum has stalled.
Positives
- Strong 3Y and 5Y price performance
- Consistent earnings beats over 23 quarters
Watchpoints
- Recent 6-month price decline (-9.8%)
Health
20/100
Deterministic health scores indicate significant operational and liquidity weakness.
Positives
- Manageable Debt/Equity ratio (0.73)
Watchpoints
- Piotroski F-Score 3/9
- Negative ROE (-65.12%)
- Current Ratio < 1.0
Dividend
15/100
Dividend is likely being funded by debt or cash reserves rather than earnings.
Positives
- Yield of 2.69% provides some income
Watchpoints
- Payout ratio of 167.21% is fundamentally unsustainable
Stock Price & Analyst Targets
Real-time price movements and analyst price targets
Current Price
$54.97
Analyst Target
$71.12
Upside/Downside
+29.4%
Multi-Horizon Performance vs Peers
Price momentum across 5Y → 1W horizons for STEP and closest competitors.
Updated 2026-04-17
| Company | 5Y | 3Y | 1Y | 6M | 1M | 1W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
STEP
StepStone Group Inc.
Primary
|
+85.3% | +171.4% | +19.9% | -9.8% | +17.6% | +19.7% |
|
RIOT
Riot Platforms, Inc.
Peer
|
-55.7% | +34.6% | +180.3% | -9.6% | +28.4% | +9.1% |
|
MORN
Morningstar, Inc.
Peer
|
-24.2% | -15.7% | -38.6% | -23.1% | -5.4% | -2.5% |
|
BMA
Banco Macro S.A.
Peer
|
+868.3% | +446.6% | -7.7% | +34.8% | +6.2% | +4.3% |
|
MKTX
MarketAxess Holdings Inc.
Peer
|
-65.4% | -45.9% | -20.2% | +1.9% | -3.1% | -0.3% |
STE
StepStone Group Inc.
Primary
5Y
+85.3%
3Y
+171.4%
1Y
+19.9%
6M
-9.8%
1M
+17.6%
1W
+19.7%
RIO
Riot Platforms, Inc.
Peer
5Y
-55.7%
3Y
+34.6%
1Y
+180.3%
6M
-9.6%
1M
+28.4%
1W
+9.1%
MOR
Morningstar, Inc.
Peer
5Y
-24.2%
3Y
-15.7%
1Y
-38.6%
6M
-23.1%
1M
-5.4%
1W
-2.5%
BMA
Banco Macro S.A.
Peer
5Y
+868.3%
3Y
+446.6%
1Y
-7.7%
6M
+34.8%
1M
+6.2%
1W
+4.3%
MKT
MarketAxess Holdings Inc.
Peer
5Y
-65.4%
3Y
-45.9%
1Y
-20.2%
6M
+1.9%
1M
-3.1%
1W
-0.3%
Positive values indicate cumulative gains over the specified period. Comparables pulled from the same sector to highlight whether momentum is stock-specific or industry-wide.
Historical Performance Trends
Long-term financial metrics and growth patterns
Revenue & Net Income
Profit & Operating Margins
Return on Equity (ROE)
Quarterly Revenue Growth
Historical data shows last 12 quarters (3 years)
Valuation Metrics
Key valuation ratios and pricing indicators
P/E Ratio
N/A
Forward P/E
21.89
PEG Ratio
N/A
P/B Ratio
-11.63
P/S Ratio
3.85
EV/Revenue
2.98
EV/EBITDA
-5.51
Market Cap
$6.87B
Profitability
Profit margins and return metrics
Profit Margin
-30.66%
Operating Margin
-37.71%
Gross Margin
-46.38%
ROE
-65.12%
ROA
-13.15%
Growth
Revenue and earnings growth rates
Revenue Growth
+73.0%
Earnings Growth
N/A
Q/Q Revenue Growth
+73.0%
Q/Q Earnings Growth
N/A
Financial Health
Balance sheet strength and liquidity metrics
Debt/Equity
0.73
Moderate
Current Ratio
0.67
Weak
Quick Ratio
0.66
Poor
Cash/Share
$4.71
Financial Statement Flow
Interactive flow visualization showing how money moves through the company Q4 2025
Revenue
$0.6B
Gross Margin
50.8%
Op. Margin
-37.7%
Net Margin
-21.0%
Total Assets
$5.2B
Liabilities
$4.7B
Equity
$-0.4B
Debt/Equity
-12.47x
Operating CF
$0.0B
CapEx
$-0.0B
Free Cash Flow
$0.0B
FCF Yield
98%
Quarterly Earnings History
EPS performance vs analyst estimates
2026-05-21
$N/A
2026-02-05
$0.65
+8.8% surprise
2025-11-06
$0.54
+10.6% surprise
2025-08-07
$0.4
-6.0% surprise
Financial Services Sector Comparison
Comparing STEP against 551 companies in the Financial Services sector
(102 bullish, 225 neutral, 224 bearish)
Return on Equity (ROE)
-65.12%
This Stock
vs
-0.56%
Sector Avg
+11612.8%
(Excellent)
Profit Margin
-30.66%
This Stock
vs
49.82%
Sector Avg
-161.5%
(Weaker)
Debt to Equity
0.73
This Stock
vs
1.4
Sector Avg
-48.3%
(Less Debt)
Revenue Growth
73.0%
This Stock
vs
40.32%
Sector Avg
+81.0%
(Fast Growth)
Current Ratio
0.67
This Stock
vs
3.49
Sector Avg
-80.9%
(Weaker)
Similar Companies
Peer comparison within the same industry
| Company | AI Rating | Market Cap | P/E | ROE | Profit Margin | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
STEP
StepStone Group Inc.
|
NEUTRAL | $6.87B | - | -65.1% | -30.7% | $54.97 | |
|
RIOT
Riot Platforms, Inc.
|
BEARISH | $6.87B | - | -22.1% | -102.4% | $18.11 | Compare |
|
MORN
Morningstar, Inc.
|
BEARISH | $6.82B | 19.41 | 26.3% | 15.3% | $172.21 | Compare |
|
BMA
Banco Macro S.A.
|
BEARISH | $6.81B | 38.35 | 5.5% | 8.6% | $96.63 | Compare |
|
MKTX
MarketAxess Holdings Inc.
|
NEUTRAL | $6.49B | 26.25 | 19.4% | 29.1% | $174.56 | Compare |
STEP
StepStone Group Inc.
NEUTRAL
Mkt Cap
$6.9B
P/E
-
ROE
-65.1%
Price
$54.97
Recent Insider Trading
Insider buy and sell transactions from the last 6 months
| Date | Insider | Position | Transaction | Shares | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-31 | FERNANDEZ JOSE A. | Chief Operating Officer | Stock Award | 200,000 | - |
| 2026-03-31 | PARK DAVID Y | Chief Financial Officer | Stock Award | 64 | - |
| 2026-03-13 | KECK THOMAS | Director | Stock Award | 7,152 | - |
| 2026-03-13 | KEATHLEY ANTHONY | Officer | Stock Award | 1,612 | - |
| 2026-03-13 | FERNANDEZ JOSE A. | Chief Operating Officer | Stock Award | 7,152 | - |
| 2026-03-13 | PARK DAVID Y | Chief Financial Officer | Stock Award | 31,992 | - |
| 2026-03-13 | MCCABE MICHAEL I | Officer and Director | Stock Award | 7,152 | - |
| 2026-03-13 | MENT JASON P | President | Stock Award | 15,525 | - |
| 2026-03-13 | HART SCOTT W. | Chief Executive Officer | Stock Award | 27,722 | - |
| 2026-02-23 | MITCHELL STEVEN RYAN | Director | Purchase | 12,793 | $565,772 |
| 2026-01-26 | HART SCOTT W. | Chief Executive Officer | Sale | 10,000 | $725,176 |
| 2025-12-26 | HART SCOTT W. | Chief Executive Officer | Sale | 10,000 | $661,700 |
| 2025-12-10 | MCCABE MICHAEL I | Officer and Director | Sale | 192,052 | $12,709,729 |
| 2025-11-25 | HART SCOTT W. | Chief Executive Officer | Sale | 10,000 | $617,000 |
| 2025-11-13 | FERNANDEZ JOSE A. | Chief Operating Officer | Sale | 211,210 | $13,120,536 |
FERNANDEZ JOSE A.
Chief Operating Officer
2026-03-31
200,000 shares
PARK DAVID Y
Chief Financial Officer
2026-03-31
64 shares
KECK THOMAS
Director
2026-03-13
7,152 shares
KEATHLEY ANTHONY
Officer
2026-03-13
1,612 shares
FERNANDEZ JOSE A.
Chief Operating Officer
2026-03-13
7,152 shares
PARK DAVID Y
Chief Financial Officer
2026-03-13
31,992 shares
MCCABE MICHAEL I
Officer and Director
2026-03-13
7,152 shares
MENT JASON P
President
2026-03-13
15,525 shares
HART SCOTT W.
Chief Executive Officer
2026-03-13
27,722 shares
MITCHELL STEVEN RYAN
Director
2026-02-23
12,793 shares
·
$565,772
HART SCOTT W.
Chief Executive Officer
2026-01-26
10,000 shares
·
$725,176
HART SCOTT W.
Chief Executive Officer
2025-12-26
10,000 shares
·
$661,700
MCCABE MICHAEL I
Officer and Director
2025-12-10
192,052 shares
·
$12,709,729
HART SCOTT W.
Chief Executive Officer
2025-11-25
10,000 shares
·
$617,000
FERNANDEZ JOSE A.
Chief Operating Officer
2025-11-13
211,210 shares
·
$13,120,536
Insider transactions can signal confidence or concerns about company prospects
SEC Filings
Recent regulatory filings from the SEC EDGAR database
8-K
10-Q
10-Q
8-K
10-Q
DEF 14A
8-K
Data sourced from SEC EDGAR. AI summaries generated automatically.
Wall Street Analysts
Professional analyst ratings and price targets
Consensus
STRONG_BUY
8 analysts
Oppenheimer
2026-04-13
Outperform
Outperform
Barclays
2026-04-08
Overweight
Overweight
BMO Capital
2026-03-24
Outperform
Outperform
Barclays
2026-03-02
Equal-Weight
Overweight
Oppenheimer
2026-02-09
Outperform
Outperform
JP Morgan
2026-02-06
Overweight
Overweight
Evercore ISI Group
2026-01-22
Outperform
Outperform
Barclays
2025-12-12
Equal-Weight
Equal-Weight
Barclays
2025-11-07
Equal-Weight
Equal-Weight
JP Morgan
2025-11-04
Overweight
Overweight
Past News Coverage
Recent headlines mentioning STEP from our newsroom.
Newest → oldest
No matching news yet.