BR vs FIS: Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?
Last updated August 2026
Short answer
BR and FIS are similarly sized, but FIS trades noticeably cheaper on forward earnings (6.54x vs 14.98x): the market is paying up for BR's profile and pricing FIS more conservatively, or for faster growth. Which you prefer comes down to the drivers you believe, and whether adding either over-concentrates what you already own.
BR vs FIS: the tie-breaker metrics
Same yardstick, side by side (as of August 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.
| Metric | BR | FIS | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $20.06B | $23.14B | Size. The larger name is the incumbent; the smaller has more room to grow and more to prove. |
| Forward P/E | 14.98 | 6.54 | Valuation on next year's expected earnings, the same yardstick for both. Lower is cheaper for that growth; higher means the market is paying up. |
| Trailing P/E | 18.04 | 8.68 | Valuation on the last 12 months. A big drop from trailing to forward means the market expects earnings to jump, so more growth is already in the price. |
| Beta | 0.89 | 0.81 | Volatility vs the market. Above 1 swings harder than the index; below 1 is steadier. Higher beta means bigger drawdowns to hold through. |
| Price vs 52-week range | 30% of range | 18% of range | Where today's price sits between the 52-week low and high. Near the high is momentum with less margin of safety; near the low is out of favor or a discount, depending on why. |
| Price / book | 7.12 | 1.45 | How much you pay over book value. Very high can signal an asset-light, high-return business or a rich price. |
Reading it: FIS is the cheaper of the two on forward earnings, but cheaper is not the same as better. Pair the valuation with growth (how far the forward P/E sits below the trailing P/E) and risk (beta) before you decide.
Before you buy: how BR and FIS affect your concentration
The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. BR and FIS share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.
This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined BR and FIS exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.
What does Broadridge Financial Solutions (BR) do?
Spun out of ADP in 2007, Broadridge runs two businesses that most investors interact with without knowing it. Investor Communication Solutions, ~$5.56 billion of fiscal 2026 revenue, distributes the proxy statements, annual reports, prospectuses and account communications that brokers are legally required to deliver, and it collects a fee per position delivered. Global Technology and Operations, ~$1.92 billion, runs the back-office trade processing, clearing support and wealth platforms behind large broker-dealers, including fixed income processing for 22 of the 26 U.S. primary dealers. A meaningful chunk of reported revenue (~$2.25 billion in fiscal 2026) is distribution revenue, largely postage passed through at little or no margin, so headline growth flatters the underlying economics. The metric management runs on is recurring revenue, ~$4.88 billion in fiscal 2026 and up ~8% in constant currency.
What does Fidelity National Information Services (FIS) do?
Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. is a global financial-technology company that provides the software and services banks, capital-markets firms, and merchants run on. It operates mainly through two segments, Banking Solutions (core processing, digital banking, payments, and related software for financial institutions) and Capital Market Solutions (trading, treasury, lending, and risk technology for buy-side and sell-side firms). FIS serves more than 20,000 clients across over 130 countries and processes trillions of dollars in transactions each year, which makes it more of an embedded infrastructure vendor than a consumer-facing brand. Because its software is woven into clients' daily operations, revenue is heavily recurring and switching costs are high.
BR vs FIS: how do they differ?
Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.
- BR drivers: Regulatory position growth compounds without new sales; Wealth and capital markets consolidation via tuck-in deals.
- FIS drivers: Sticky, recurring banking software; Capital Markets momentum.
Which fits which kind of investor
A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: Regulatory dependence cuts both ways: a large share of Investor Communication Solutions revenue exists because SEC rules and NYSE-approved fee schedules mandate delivery and set the rate, so any rework of proxy fees, e-delivery rules or shareholder communication requirements hits the highest-margin part of the business directly. For FIS, the main risk is that FIS is a mature, slower-growing business competing against strong rivals, so growth can disappoint if bank IT spending softens or clients delay projects.
BR or FIS: which should you pick?
BR vs FIS: the full fundamentals
BR. Reported earnings need a second look this year, because GAAP diluted EPS of ~$9.60 and adjusted EPS of ~$9.60 landed at the same number by coincidence: GAAP was lifted by ~$227 million of non-cash digital asset gains while adjusted results excluded them and added back acquisition amortization. Measured on the recurring base, growth was ~8% with adjusted operating margin flat at ~20.5%, since postage-driven distribution revenue and lower float income each diluted the mix. The multiple has compressed toward the low end of Broadridge's historical range even as fiscal 2027 guidance calls for ~8% to ~12% adjusted EPS growth.
FIS. Figures are approximate and tied to the asOf date; verify live numbers before acting. The January 2026 close of the Issuer Solutions acquisition and Worldpay sale makes reported and pro forma growth figures diverge sharply, so read guidance carefully and check which basis a number uses. FIS trades as a mature, cash-generative software and payments company, so investors tend to weigh recurring-revenue durability, margin expansion, and deleveraging progress more than headline growth.
Headline figures (approximate, August 2026): BR shows revenue (fy2026, ttm) ~$7.48 billion, up ~9%, recurring revenue ~$4.88 billion, up ~8% constant currency, adjusted eps (fy2026) ~$9.60, up ~12%, free cash flow ~$1.23 billion (~110% conversion); FIS shows revenue (ttm) ~$10 to 11 billion (2025 revenue was roughly $10.7 billion; segment mix shifts after the January 2026 Issuer Solutions and Worldpay transactions), 2026 revenue growth guidance ~mid-single-digit pro forma (roughly 5% to 6%), with much larger reported/adjusted growth reflecting the Issuer Solutions consolidation, adjusted ebitda margin ~high-30s percent, with guidance for continued margin expansion, market cap ~$20 billion (stock in the roughly $40 range in mid-2026).
The bottom line: BR vs FIS
BR and FIS are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined BR and FIS exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.
Wondering how BR or FIS fits the portfolio you already own? Walnut is an AI investing app that connects your brokerage read-only and answers questions like that about your actual holdings: overlap, concentration, and how each position tracks the S&P 500. Compare the best AI portfolio analyzers or see the best AI investing apps in 2026.
Investing in Broadridge Financial Solutions with AI
Connect the broker you already use and ask Walnut's AI how BR fits what you actually hold: whether you own it already through a fund, what it would do to your concentration, and how it has tracked the S&P 500. Read-only by default, and you approve anything before it reaches your broker.
FAQ
What is the difference between BR and FIS?
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Spun out of ADP in 2007, Broadridge runs two businesses that most investors interact with without knowing it. Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. They show up together because they share investment themes, but they are different businesses, so the better fit depends on which thesis you are expressing.
Is BR or FIS the better stock?
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Neither is universally better; they suit different views and risk levels. Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Compare what each does, the tie-breaker metrics above, and the risks, then decide which fits your thesis and what you already own.
Which is cheaper, BR or FIS?
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On forward P/E (as of August 2026), BR trades at 14.98x and FIS at 6.54x, so FIS is the cheaper of the two on next year's expected earnings. A lower multiple is not automatically the better buy: a richer valuation can be justified by faster growth, and a lower one can reflect real risk. Weigh the multiple against how fast each business is compounding.
Should you own both BR and FIS?
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Because they share themes, owning both concentrates you in that theme. That can be intentional (a focused bet) or accidental (less diversification than it looks). Walnut can show your combined exposure across both, and whether adding either over-concentrates you, before you buy.
What are the risks of BR vs FIS?
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BR: Regulatory dependence cuts both ways: a large share of Investor Communication Solutions revenue exists because SEC rules and NYSE-approved fee schedules mandate delivery and set the rate, so any rework of proxy fees, e-delivery rules or shareholder communication requirements hits the highest-margin part of the business directly. Client concentration is real, since the revenue base sits with a shrinking set of large broker-dealers, banks and asset managers whose consolidation removes payers. Broadridge now holds digital assets in the form of Canton Coins, and a non-cash gain of ~$227 million on those holdings accounted for a large share of the ~35% jump in GAAP EPS during fiscal 2026, a swing the 10-K itself describes as highly speculative and capable of reversing. Operational reliance on Kyndryl for mainframe and data center infrastructure through 2031, plus the cybersecurity exposure inherent in touching over ~8 billion communications a year, are single points of failure worth tracking. On litigation, the fiscal 2026 10-K states there are no material pending legal proceedings beyond ordinary routine litigation, with reasonably possible losses estimated at up to ~$5.0 million in excess of established reserves, and there is no active securities class action or going-concern qualification. FIS: The main risk is that FIS is a mature, slower-growing business competing against strong rivals, so growth can disappoint if bank IT spending softens or clients delay projects. Its long history of acquisitions and divestitures, including the costly Worldpay round trip, is a reminder that large deals do not always create shareholder value, and the Issuer Solutions integration carries execution and financing risk. The 2026 transactions were partly debt-funded, so leverage is elevated until FIS deleverages as planned, which pressures the balance sheet if cash flow lags. Competition from Fiserv, Global Payments, ACI Worldwide, Temenos, Oracle, and newer cloud-native core-banking vendors is intense, and technology shifts toward modern, cloud-first platforms could erode the switching-cost moat over time. The stock has also been volatile, having fallen sharply over the past year on growth and guidance concerns.
Walnut is informational, not investment advice. This page is descriptive and not a recommendation to buy or sell BR or FIS; figures are approximate and dated (as of August 2026). Verify current data before investing.