ADBE vs. DOCU: Adobe vs. DocuSign Stock Comparison
How do Adobe (ADBE) and DocuSign (DOCU) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
Adobe (ADBE) and DocuSign (DOCU) are both classified in the Application Software sub-industry within the broader Software industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.
| Profile Item | ADBE | DOCU |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Adobe Inc. | DocuSign Inc. |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Information Technology | Information Technology |
| GICS Industry Group | Software & Services | Software & Services |
| GICS Industry | Software | Software |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Application Software | Application Software |
| Market Capitalization | 93.14 billion USD | 14.51 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | August 13, 1986 | April 27, 2018 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | ADBE | DOCU |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | -27.09% | 12.03% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | -25.55% | 24.94% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | -18.62% | -22.27% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | ADBE | DOCU |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 41.62% | 48.32% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.38 | 0.79 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -71.90% | -86.00% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 4.61M | 2.99M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | ADBE | DOCU |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.75 | 0.16 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -1.04 | 0.23 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Adobe (ADBE) at 61.90% clears its industry range for ROE, a sharper capital-efficiency signal than DocuSign (DOCU) at 17.80%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.
ADBE
Software & Services industry group
61.90%
- ADBE
- 61.90%
- Max
- 53.85%
- Q3
- 17.90%
- Median
- 6.59%
- Q1
- -9.59%
- Min
- -50.52%
DOCU
Software & Services industry group
17.80%
- Max
- 53.85%
- Q3
- 17.90%
- DOCU
- 17.80%
- Median
- 6.59%
- Q1
- -9.59%
- Min
- -50.52%
Net Margin (TTM)
Adobe (ADBE) at 28.05% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of DocuSign (DOCU) at 9.82%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.
ADBE
Software & Services industry group
28.05%
- Max
- 41.17%
- ADBE
- 28.05%
- Q3
- 15.28%
- Median
- 4.63%
- Q1
- -5.42%
- Min
- -33.17%
DOCU
Software & Services industry group
9.82%
- Max
- 41.17%
- Q3
- 15.28%
- DOCU
- 9.82%
- Median
- 4.63%
- Q1
- -5.42%
- Min
- -33.17%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Adobe (ADBE) at 34.82% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of DocuSign (DOCU) at 13.43%, which runs around its industry’s norm.
ADBE
Software & Services industry group
34.82%
- Max
- 46.89%
- ADBE
- 34.82%
- Q3
- 17.64%
- Median
- 8.73%
- Q1
- -2.13%
- Min
- -30.45%
DOCU
Software & Services industry group
13.43%
- Max
- 46.89%
- Q3
- 17.64%
- DOCU
- 13.43%
- Median
- 8.73%
- Q1
- -2.13%
- Min
- -30.45%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | ADBE | DOCU |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 61.90% | 17.80% |
| ROA (TTM) | 20.08% | 6.35% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 28.05% | 9.82% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 34.82% | 13.43% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 89.25% | 79.61% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both Adobe (ADBE) at 10.53% and DocuSign (DOCU) at 8.16% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
EPS Growth
Adobe (ADBE) at 35.11% is around its peer norm for EPS growth, while DocuSign (DOCU) at -70.87% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker earnings momentum.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | ADBE | DOCU |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 10.53% | 8.16% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 10.52% | 8.57% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 35.11% | -70.87% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 18.25% | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Both Adobe (ADBE) at 0.77 and DocuSign (DOCU) at 0.64 run current ratio in the tighter-liquidity quartile of industry peers, leaving thinner cushions against current liabilities than typical competitors.
ADBE
Software & Services industry group
0.77
- Max
- 5.11
- Q3
- 2.77
- Median
- 1.67
- Q1
- 1.01
- ADBE
- 0.77
- Min
- 0.03
DOCU
Software & Services industry group
0.64
- Max
- 5.11
- Q3
- 2.77
- Median
- 1.67
- Q1
- 1.01
- DOCU
- 0.64
- Min
- 0.03
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both Adobe (ADBE) at 0.58 and DocuSign (DOCU) at 0.11 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.
ADBE
Software & Services industry group
0.58
- Max
- 2.52
- Q3
- 1.13
- ADBE
- 0.58
- Median
- 0.40
- Q1
- 0.07
- Min
- 0.00
DOCU
Software & Services industry group
0.11
- Max
- 2.52
- Q3
- 1.13
- Median
- 0.40
- DOCU
- 0.11
- Q1
- 0.07
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | ADBE | DOCU |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.77 | 0.64 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.58 | 0.11 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 0.12 | -1.35 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither Adobe (ADBE) nor DocuSign (DOCU) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
ADBE
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- ADBE
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
DOCU
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- DOCU
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Neither Adobe (ADBE) nor DocuSign (DOCU) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
ADBE
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- ADBE
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
DOCU
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- DOCU
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | ADBE | DOCU |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Adobe (ADBE) at 13.36 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while DocuSign (DOCU) at 47.32 is closer to its industry’s usual earnings multiple — a discount for ADBE, though growth and earnings durability still matter.
ADBE
Software & Services industry group
13.36
- Max
- 112.94
- Q3
- 60.32
- Median
- 32.91
- Q1
- 18.77
- ADBE
- 13.36
- Min
- 6.69
DOCU
Software & Services industry group
47.32
- Max
- 112.94
- Q3
- 60.32
- DOCU
- 47.32
- Median
- 32.91
- Q1
- 18.77
- Min
- 6.69
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both Adobe (ADBE) at 3.59 and DocuSign (DOCU) at 4.32 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.
ADBE
Software & Services industry group
3.59
- Max
- 17.91
- Q3
- 8.78
- Median
- 4.25
- ADBE
- 3.59
- Q1
- 2.23
- Min
- 0.02
DOCU
Software & Services industry group
4.32
- Max
- 17.91
- Q3
- 8.78
- DOCU
- 4.32
- Median
- 4.25
- Q1
- 2.23
- Min
- 0.02
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
On P/B ratio, both Adobe (ADBE) at 7.95 and DocuSign (DOCU) at 8.50 are valued close to their industries’ norm against book — neither stands out from peers.
ADBE
Software & Services industry group
7.95
- Max
- 16.63
- Q3
- 8.50
- ADBE
- 7.95
- Median
- 4.30
- Q1
- 1.92
- Min
- -3.90
DOCU
Software & Services industry group
8.50
- Max
- 16.63
- DOCU
- 8.50
- Q3
- 8.50
- Median
- 4.30
- Q1
- 1.92
- Min
- -3.90
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | ADBE | DOCU |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 13.36 | 47.32 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 3.59 | 4.32 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 7.95 | 8.50 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 10.03% | 9.05% |