WTFC vs LAD Comparison

Wintrust Financial Corp is a financial holding company operating in the Chicago metropolitan area and southern Wisconsin through its wholly-owned banking subsidiaries. Wintrust conducts its business through three segments: community banking, specialty finance, and wealth management. Among other services, the company provides community-oriented, personal, and commercial banking, as well as the origination and purchase of residential mortgages for sale into the secondary market. A majority of its banks are banks chartered by the state of Illinois with scores of locations. The company has historically grown through both de novo organization and acquisitions. A majority of its loan portfolio is commercial, mostly in real estate. A majority of Wintrust's net revenue is net interest income.

Lithia Motors is a retailer of new and used vehicles and related services. The company offers over 50 brands of vehicles at nearly 500 stores globally across the US, Canada, and UK. The company has expanded largely through the acquisition of dealerships in smaller regional markets but now seeks to grow in any part of the US and we expect more deals over time in the US and, at times, abroad. Annual revenue in 2024 was $36.2 billion and we see over $50 billion possible in a few years. The US was 78% of 2024 revenue and the UK second at 19%, due to the 2024 Pendragon acquisition. In 2024, new vehicle sales were about 49% of total revenue. Lithia was founded in 1946, went public in 1996, and is the largest US auto dealer. It is based in Medford, Oregon.