APP vs. FOUR: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at APP and FOUR, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
APP’s market capitalization of 115.62 billion USD is substantially larger than FOUR’s 9.04 billion USD, indicating a significant difference in their market valuations.
With betas of 2.53 for APP and 1.82 for FOUR, both stocks show similar sensitivity to overall market movements.
| Symbol | APP | FOUR |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | AppLovin Corporation | Shift4 Payments, Inc. |
| Country | US | US |
| Sector | Technology | Technology |
| Industry | Software - Application | Software - Infrastructure |
| CEO | Adam Arash Foroughi | Jared Isaacman |
| Price | 341.64 USD | 101.8 USD |
| Market Cap | 115.62 billion USD | 9.04 billion USD |
| Beta | 2.53 | 1.82 |
| Exchange | NASDAQ | NYSE |
| IPO Date | April 15, 2021 | June 5, 2020 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of APP and FOUR by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period.
Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.
Profitability
Return on Equity
APP
224.68%
Software - Application Industry
- Max
- 59.01%
- Q3
- 17.85%
- Median
- 4.73%
- Q1
- -10.56%
- Min
- -52.94%
APP’s Return on Equity of 224.68% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Software - Application industry. This demonstrates a superior ability to generate profit from shareholder investments, though it could also be inflated by high financial leverage.
FOUR
27.95%
Software - Infrastructure Industry
- Max
- 80.61%
- Q3
- 29.97%
- Median
- 2.84%
- Q1
- -8.35%
- Min
- -56.26%
FOUR’s Return on Equity of 27.95% is on par with the norm for the Software - Infrastructure industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
Return on Invested Capital
APP
48.77%
Software - Application Industry
- Max
- 35.07%
- Q3
- 9.72%
- Median
- 0.76%
- Q1
- -8.68%
- Min
- -34.12%
APP’s Return on Invested Capital of 48.77% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Software - Application industry. This demonstrates an outstanding ability to deploy capital efficiently and create significant value.
FOUR
-82.03%
Software - Infrastructure Industry
- Max
- 39.31%
- Q3
- 11.97%
- Median
- 1.67%
- Q1
- -7.10%
- Min
- -34.29%
FOUR has a negative Return on Invested Capital of -82.03%. This indicates that its operations are failing to generate a profit on the total capital invested, signaling significant inefficiency or value destruction.
Net Profit Margin
APP
37.39%
Software - Application Industry
- Max
- 48.14%
- Q3
- 16.07%
- Median
- 1.83%
- Q1
- -9.60%
- Min
- -45.64%
A Net Profit Margin of 37.39% places APP in the upper quartile for the Software - Application industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
FOUR
6.29%
Software - Infrastructure Industry
- Max
- 46.46%
- Q3
- 14.65%
- Median
- 2.66%
- Q1
- -7.70%
- Min
- -35.45%
FOUR’s Net Profit Margin of 6.29% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Software - Infrastructure industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
Operating Profit Margin
APP
42.86%
Software - Application Industry
- Max
- 51.67%
- Q3
- 15.35%
- Median
- 1.79%
- Q1
- -12.42%
- Min
- -45.17%
An Operating Profit Margin of 42.86% places APP in the upper quartile for the Software - Application industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
FOUR
7.23%
Software - Infrastructure Industry
- Max
- 48.51%
- Q3
- 16.56%
- Median
- 4.48%
- Q1
- -6.43%
- Min
- -40.18%
FOUR’s Operating Profit Margin of 7.23% is around the midpoint for the Software - Infrastructure industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | APP | FOUR |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 224.68% | 27.95% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 33.64% | 4.36% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 48.77% | -82.03% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 37.39% | 6.29% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 42.86% | 7.23% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 77.40% | 27.07% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio
APP
1.68
Software - Application Industry
- Max
- 5.09
- Q3
- 2.84
- Median
- 1.70
- Q1
- 1.12
- Min
- 0.04
APP’s Current Ratio of 1.68 aligns with the median group of the Software - Application industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
FOUR
1.36
Software - Infrastructure Industry
- Max
- 3.80
- Q3
- 2.25
- Median
- 1.51
- Q1
- 1.10
- Min
- 0.23
FOUR’s Current Ratio of 1.36 aligns with the median group of the Software - Infrastructure industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio
APP
6.45
Software - Application Industry
- Max
- 1.85
- Q3
- 0.77
- Median
- 0.18
- Q1
- 0.05
- Min
- 0.00
With a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 6.45, APP operates with exceptionally high leverage compared to the Software - Application industry norm. This suggests an aggressive reliance on debt financing, which can magnify returns but also significantly elevates financial risk.
FOUR
3.58
Software - Infrastructure Industry
- Max
- 2.56
- Q3
- 1.12
- Median
- 0.33
- Q1
- 0.05
- Min
- 0.00
With a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 3.58, FOUR operates with exceptionally high leverage compared to the Software - Infrastructure industry norm. This suggests an aggressive reliance on debt financing, which can magnify returns but also significantly elevates financial risk.
Interest Coverage Ratio
APP
7.41
Software - Application Industry
- Max
- 39.23
- Q3
- 8.55
- Median
- 1.48
- Q1
- -14.59
- Min
- -39.97
APP’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 7.41 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Software - Application industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
FOUR
3.05
Software - Infrastructure Industry
- Max
- 32.21
- Q3
- 5.24
- Median
- 0.95
- Q1
- -17.99
- Min
- -50.82
FOUR’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 3.05 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Software - Infrastructure industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | APP | FOUR |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 1.68 | 1.36 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 1.68 | 1.36 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 6.45 | 3.58 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.65 | 0.58 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 1.20 | -4.69 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 7.41 | 3.05 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for APP and FOUR. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.
Revenue Growth
Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth
Free Cash Flow Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield
APP
0.00%
Software - Application Industry
- Max
- 3.66%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
APP currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.
FOUR
0.00%
Software - Infrastructure Industry
- Max
- 4.07%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
FOUR currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.
Dividend Payout Ratio
APP
0.00%
Software - Application Industry
- Max
- 81.09%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
APP has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 0%, indicating it does not currently pay a dividend. This is a common strategy for growth-oriented companies that reinvest all profits back into the business.
FOUR
0.00%
Software - Infrastructure Industry
- Max
- 48.68%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
FOUR has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 0%, indicating it does not currently pay a dividend. This is a common strategy for growth-oriented companies that reinvest all profits back into the business.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | APP | FOUR |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio
APP
60.47
Software - Application Industry
- Max
- 194.31
- Q3
- 98.56
- Median
- 51.87
- Q1
- 22.76
- Min
- 1.02
APP’s P/E Ratio of 60.47 is within the middle range for the Software - Application industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
FOUR
31.56
Software - Infrastructure Industry
- Max
- 107.77
- Q3
- 54.40
- Median
- 28.10
- Q1
- 18.03
- Min
- 5.32
FOUR’s P/E Ratio of 31.56 is within the middle range for the Software - Infrastructure industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
Forward P/E to Growth Ratio
APP
2.46
Software - Application Industry
- Max
- 15.44
- Q3
- 6.57
- Median
- 2.78
- Q1
- 0.55
- Min
- 0.00
APP’s Forward PEG Ratio of 2.46 is within the middle range of its peers in the Software - Application industry. This suggests a reasonable balance between the stock’s price and its expected growth, aligning with sector valuation norms.
FOUR
1.96
Software - Infrastructure Industry
- Max
- 8.12
- Q3
- 3.94
- Median
- 2.13
- Q1
- 0.94
- Min
- 0.01
FOUR’s Forward PEG Ratio of 1.96 is within the middle range of its peers in the Software - Infrastructure industry. This suggests a reasonable balance between the stock’s price and its expected growth, aligning with sector valuation norms.
Price-to-Sales Ratio
APP
22.51
Software - Application Industry
- Max
- 23.49
- Q3
- 11.14
- Median
- 5.62
- Q1
- 2.84
- Min
- 0.33
APP’s P/S Ratio of 22.51 is in the upper echelon for the Software - Application industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.
FOUR
3.43
Software - Infrastructure Industry
- Max
- 18.25
- Q3
- 9.05
- Median
- 4.77
- Q1
- 2.30
- Min
- 0.11
FOUR’s P/S Ratio of 3.43 aligns with the market consensus for the Software - Infrastructure industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
Price-to-Book Ratio
APP
201.77
Software - Application Industry
- Max
- 21.03
- Q3
- 10.49
- Median
- 6.36
- Q1
- 2.89
- Min
- 0.12
The P/B Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric for the Software - Application industry.
FOUR
8.56
Software - Infrastructure Industry
- Max
- 19.94
- Q3
- 10.91
- Median
- 6.33
- Q1
- 2.95
- Min
- 0.51
The P/B Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric for the Software - Infrastructure industry.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | APP | FOUR |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 60.47 | 31.56 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 2.46 | 1.96 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 22.51 | 3.43 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 201.77 | 8.56 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 45.64 | 25.19 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 45.16 | -37.24 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 23.13 | 3.92 |