FHI vs IVZ: Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?
Last updated October 2026
Short answer
IVZ is the larger of the two ($12.45B market cap): the incumbent the market prices for continued execution (8.67x forward earnings, beta 1.63). FHI is the smaller challenger ($4.18B), priced similarly on forward earnings (9.67x): more room to run, but more to prove. The real question is which set of drivers you believe, and whether owning one (or both) leaves you over-concentrated.
FHI vs IVZ: the tie-breaker metrics
Same yardstick, side by side (as of October 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 | FHI | IVZ | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $4.18B | $12.45B | Size. The larger name is the incumbent; the smaller has more room to grow and more to prove. |
| Forward P/E | 9.67 | 8.67 | 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. |
| Beta | 0.64 | 1.63 | 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 | 45% of range | 58% 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 | 3.19 | 1.25 | How much you pay over book value. Very high can signal an asset-light, high-return business or a rich price. |
Before you buy: how FHI and IVZ 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. FHI and IVZ 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 FHI and IVZ 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 Federated Hermes (FHI) do?
Federated Hermes, Inc. (NYSE: FHI) is a global investment manager headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, formed from the combination of Federated Investors and the UK-based Hermes Investment Management. As of the first quarter of 2026 the firm managed a record ~$907 billion in assets, split roughly into money market funds (about 75% of managed assets), fixed income (about 11%), equity (about 11%), alternatives (about 2%), and multi-asset (under 1%). Its money market business, with a record ~$685 billion in assets, makes Federated one of the largest cash-management providers in the country, serving institutions, financial intermediaries, and individual investors.
What does Invesco Ltd (IVZ) do?
Invesco Ltd. is a global independent investment management firm that manages money for retail and institutional clients across equities, fixed income, alternatives, and multi-asset strategies. It distributes through mutual funds, separately managed accounts, institutional mandates, and a large ETF business, and it is best known as the sponsor of Invesco QQQ, one of the largest and most heavily traded ETFs in the world. Because it earns fees on the assets it manages, Invesco's revenue moves with two things: the level of markets (which lifts or lowers asset values) and net client flows (money coming in or leaving).
FHI vs IVZ: 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.
- FHI drivers: Scaled money market franchise; Growth in equity and alternatives.
- IVZ drivers: QQQ conversion unlocks new fees; Record AUM and durable inflows.
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: Federated's heavy concentration in money market funds ties a large share of its earnings to short-term interest rates: sustained rate cuts can compress money market yields and force fee waivers, which reduce net revenue, as the firm experienced during past near-zero-rate periods. For IVZ, the dominant risk is market sensitivity: as a fee-on-assets business, Invesco's revenue and profits fall when equity and bond markets drop, so a sustained downturn would cut AUM and earnings quickly regardless of execution.
FHI or IVZ: which should you pick?
Growth-minded investors who believe the theme has years to run tend to accept the richer multiple for more upside; value-minded investors lean toward the cheaper forward earnings and steadier profile. Pick FHI if you believe its drivers more; IVZ if you believe its. Many investors hold both, but since they share themes, that is a concentrated bet, not diversification. Decide deliberately and check overlap. For the full detail, see the FHI and IVZ guides.
FHI vs IVZ: the full fundamentals
FHI. At ~$56.24 Federated Hermes trades near 10.5x trailing earnings of ~$5.37 per share and under 10x forward estimates, a modest multiple for a manager that has grown revenue double digits and beaten EPS estimates four quarters in a row. The discount reflects how much of the asset base sits in money market funds, whose economics depend on short-term interest rates and cash demand. The October 29 quarter will show whether money market and equity assets held their records into the third quarter.
IVZ. Figures are approximate and tied to the asOf date; verify live numbers before acting. At about $28.44 on October 16, 2026, Invesco trades near 8.8 times forward earnings and 1.3 times book with a yield near 3%, a modest multiple for an asset manager whose adjusted EPS is expected to grow about 38% in 2026; GAAP results show a trailing loss, so there is no meaningful trailing P/E. For an asset manager, AUM, flows, and fee rate matter more than a single quarter's EPS, and the Q3 report on October 27 is the first full quarter in which QQQ fee revenue can start to appear. The analyst mean target is about $34.64.
Headline figures (approximate, October 2026): FHI shows revenue (ttm) ~$1.93 billion (Q2 2026 ~+18% YoY), net income (ttm) ~$393 million (profit margin ~21%), diluted eps (q2 2026) ~$1.38 vs ~$1.19 expected, p/e trailing / forward ~10.5x / ~9.7x; IVZ shows revenue (ttm) ~$6.9 billion; latest quarter up ~20.5% YoY, adjusted eps (q2 2026) ~$0.71 vs ~$0.66 consensus, net income (ttm, gaap) ~-$309 million, operating margin (ttm) ~20% GAAP.
The bottom line: FHI vs IVZ
FHI and IVZ 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 FHI and IVZ exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.
Wondering how FHI or IVZ 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 Federated Hermes with AI
Connect the broker you already use and ask Walnut's AI how FHI 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 FHI and IVZ?
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Federated Hermes, Inc. Invesco Ltd. 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 FHI or IVZ the better stock?
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Neither is universally better. IVZ is the larger incumbent; FHI is the smaller challenger and looks pricier on forward earnings. 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, FHI or IVZ?
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On forward P/E (as of October 2026), FHI trades at 9.67x and IVZ at 8.67x, so IVZ 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 FHI and IVZ?
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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 FHI vs IVZ?
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FHI: Federated's heavy concentration in money market funds ties a large share of its earnings to short-term interest rates: sustained rate cuts can compress money market yields and force fee waivers, which reduce net revenue, as the firm experienced during past near-zero-rate periods. Asset flows are cyclical and competitive, with much larger rivals (BlackRock, Fidelity, Vanguard, JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, Charles Schwab) pressuring fees across both cash and long-term products. Market downturns lower equity and fixed-income assets and therefore fees, and performance fees and carried interest can be lumpy. Regulatory changes to money market fund rules (floating NAVs, liquidity fees, and redemption gates) have historically shifted assets between fund types and could do so again. Finally, as a mid-cap manager (market capitalization around $4.2 billion in October 2026), the stock can be more volatile than larger diversified financials. Growth is also expected to slow: consensus calls for EPS growth of ~10% in 2026 and ~6% in 2027, and the seven analysts covering the stock rate it a hold on average, with a mean target near $59. IVZ: The dominant risk is market sensitivity: as a fee-on-assets business, Invesco's revenue and profits fall when equity and bond markets drop, so a sustained downturn would cut AUM and earnings quickly regardless of execution. Fee compression is structural, with passive and ETF price wars (Invesco itself is cutting the QQQ fee) pressuring industry margins over time. Flows can reverse: eleven quarters of inflows can turn to outflows if performance lags or sentiment shifts. Heavy reliance on a single flagship product, QQQ, concentrates risk in the Nasdaq-100 and the tech-heavy names that drive it, and QQQ also faces new ETF competition. The private-markets push adds execution and partnership-dependency risk, and the firm carries debt and prior preferred obligations that constrain flexibility in a downturn. Valuation reflects some of the good news: the stock is up about 25% over one year, and in October 2026 analysts trimmed and raised targets in both directions (Autonomous Research to $30 from $31, JPMorgan to $32 from $29.50), a sign that the QQQ upside is debated rather than assumed.
Walnut is informational, not investment advice. This page is descriptive and not a recommendation to buy or sell FHI or IVZ; figures are approximate and dated (as of October 2026). Verify current data before investing.