Banks with Highest Return on Equity
Financial institutions ranked by return on equity (ROE), showing which banks generate the most profit from shareholder capital.
Return on equity measures how effectively a bank turns shareholder capital into profit. This ranking highlights the banks currently posting the strongest ROE in the BankingTerminal universe.
Why this metric matters
ROE is one of the clearest profitability benchmarks for banks because equity capital is the core resource management is expected to compound.
Sustainably high ROE often supports stronger valuation multiples, better capital return potential, and faster compounding through retained earnings.
What good looks like
For many banks, double-digit ROE is a useful starting point for identifying above-average profitability.
The strongest ROE readings matter most when they are paired with durable credit quality, strong capital levels, and steady funding.
Live ranking table
ROE| # | Company | Symbol | ROE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | First Citizens BancShares | FCNCAXNAS | 53.95% |
| 2 | Seacoast Banking Corp. | SBCFXNAS | 26.18% |
| 3 | Central Pacific Financial | CPFXNYS | 26.07% |
| 4 | Capital One Financial Corp. | COFXNYS | 20.30% |
| 5 | U.S. Bancorp | USBXNYS | 19.81% |
| 6 | Commerce Bancshares Inc. | CBSHXNAS | 19.81% |
| 7 | Western Alliance Bancorporation | WALXNYS | 19.74% |
| 8 | ServisFirst Bancshares Inc. | SFBSXNAS | 19.39% |
| 9 | East West Bancorp Inc. | EWBCXNAS | 18.85% |
| 10 | Zions Bancorporation | ZIONXNAS | 18.54% |
| 11 | First Financial Bankshares | FFINXNAS | 18.52% |
| 12 | Ally Financial Inc. | ALLYXNYS | 17.95% |
| 13 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | JPMXNYS | 16.96% |
| 14 | Wells Fargo & Co. | WFCXNYS | 16.83% |
| 15 | International Bancshares Corp. | IBOCXNAS | 16.82% |
| 16 | UMB Financial Corp. | UMBFXNAS | 16.19% |
| 17 | SouthState Corp. | SSBXNAS | 15.72% |
| 18 | KeyCorp | KEYXNYS | 15.07% |
| 19 | Cathay General Bancorp | CATYXNAS | 14.58% |
| 20 | Texas Capital Bancshares | TCBIXNAS | 14.43% |
| 21 | State Street Corp. | STTXNYS | 14.18% |
| 22 | Fifth Third Bancorp | FITBXNAS | 14.12% |
| 23 | Regions Financial Corp. | RFXNYS | 14.08% |
| 24 | PNC Financial Services Group | PNCXNYS | 13.99% |
| 25 | Truist Financial Corp. | TFCXNYS | 13.79% |
Methodology
Uses the latest available annual bank KPI for return on equity from BankingTerminal’s financial-sector coverage universe.
Includes only companies with non-null ROE data and ranks each company once based on its latest reported value.
This table is a starting point for research, not a standalone buy list; investors should pair it with asset-quality, capital, and valuation work.
Frequently asked questions
What is return on equity for banks?
Return on equity shows how much net income a bank generates for each dollar of shareholder equity. It is one of the most widely used measures of bank profitability.
What is a good ROE for a bank?
A good ROE depends on the cycle, but many investors look for banks that can sustainably earn around 10% or better while keeping capital levels healthy.
Why can two banks with similar ROE trade at different valuations?
ROE is only one input. Asset quality, capital strength, deposit franchise quality, growth outlook, and consistency all influence valuation.
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Banks with Highest Return on Assets
Financial institutions ranked by return on assets (ROA), measuring asset efficiency.
Banks with Best (Lowest) Efficiency Ratio
Financial institutions ranked by efficiency ratio (lower is better), showing which banks have the lowest operating costs relative to revenue.
Rankings are based on the most recent reported data available in BankingTerminal and should be used as a starting point for research. Disclaimer