CluenexKeycorp KEY
Keycorp scores average on business quality (4.5 of 10). Here is why, in plain words, and what our sealed record shows.
Why it matters
- What Keycorp does
KeyCorp operates as a bank holding company, providing retail banking, commercial banking, and wealth management services to individuals and businesses. Revenue is generated primarily through net interest income and fee-based financial services.
- What it does best
KeyCorp delivers top-tier revenue expansion, ranking in the top decile of its sector with a revenue growth rate of 63.5%. This top-line momentum outpaces peers like Fifth Third's 6.4% growth, though it operates without a deep technological moat to lock in customers.
- The main risk
JP Morgan recently lowered its price target to $23, reflecting ongoing pressure on margins and capital requirements that limit aggressive expansion without risking the balance sheet.
Quality, check by check
Scored against its own industry, from company filings.
Net margin sits at 24.2% with an ROE of 10.1%. Profitability remains constrained by funding costs, showing that scale does not yet yield dramatic margin expansion.
The moat is weak, reflected in a moat score of 2.6 and a return on equity of 10.1%. Without proprietary tech or high switching costs, rivals easily match its banking products.
Revenue growth surges at 63.5%, marking a sharp acceleration compared to historical periods where revenue hovered around $7.4 billion.
Total debt stands at $11.0 billion with a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.5. Free cash flow reached $1.2 billion alongside $1.3 billion in operating cash flow, leaving the capital structure in a mixed state.
Insiders
Executives and directors, from SEC Form 4 filings we read ourselves. Open market trades only; grants, option exercises and pre-planned sales left out.
1 sold $569K outside pre-planned sales.
Our sealed record on KEY
Verdicts appear here 30 days after we publish them; members see today's. Each one is in the nightly ledger, fingerprinted the night it was made.
The first sealed verdicts appear here on Oct 11, 2026.
Questions
Keycorp scores average on the Cluenex quality check (4.5 of 10), measured against its own industry. Profitability is weak, moat weak, growth steady and financial health fair.
In the last 90 days of SEC Form 4 filings: 1 sold $569K outside pre-planned sales.
Oct 20, 2026.
See KEY today
- Today's verdict on KEY, and why
- Fair value with cautious, base and optimistic cases
- The exact price that would change the verdict
- Which stocks each signal names, the night it fires
Cite this page: Cluenex, “Keycorp (KEY)”, https://cluenex.com/stocks/key/, data as of Oct 10, 2026.