APP vs. PANW: AppLovin vs. Palo Alto Networks Stock Comparison
How do AppLovin (APP) and Palo Alto Networks (PANW) 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
AppLovin (APP) and Palo Alto Networks (PANW) both belong to the Software industry, though APP is classified under Application Software while PANW falls under Systems Software.
| Profile Item | APP | PANW |
|---|---|---|
| Name | AppLovin Corporation Class A Common Stock | Palo Alto Networks, 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 | Systems Software |
| Market Capitalization | 129.62 billion USD | 256.86 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | April 15, 2021 | July 20, 2012 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | APP | PANW |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | -34.71% | 53.99% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 116.87% | 39.16% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 31.34% | 30.80% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
AppLovin (APP) carries a highly aggressive beta of 2.25, indicating much higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, whereas Palo Alto Networks (PANW) is closer to market-like at 1.00 — a noticeable difference in market-sensitivity profile.
| Metric | APP | PANW |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 80.36% | 51.34% |
| Beta (5Y) | 2.25 | 1.00 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -91.90% | -36.01% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 5.33M | 6.03M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | APP | PANW |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.49 | 0.97 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -0.69 | 1.49 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
AppLovin (APP) at 210.09% clears its industry range for ROE, a sharper capital-efficiency signal than Palo Alto Networks (PANW) at 1.74%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.
APP
Software & Services industry group
210.09%
- APP
- 210.09%
- Max
- 53.85%
- Q3
- 17.90%
- Median
- 6.59%
- Q1
- -9.59%
- Min
- -50.52%
PANW
Software & Services industry group
1.74%
- Max
- 53.85%
- Q3
- 17.90%
- Median
- 6.59%
- PANW
- 1.74%
- Q1
- -9.59%
- Min
- -50.52%
Net Margin (TTM)
AppLovin (APP) at 65.89% converts revenue to bottom-line profit above its industry’s benchmark range, while Palo Alto Networks (PANW) at 2.67% keeps roughly the typical share for its industry.
APP
Software & Services industry group
65.89%
- APP
- 65.89%
- Max
- 41.17%
- Q3
- 15.28%
- Median
- 4.63%
- Q1
- -5.42%
- Min
- -33.17%
PANW
Software & Services industry group
2.67%
- Max
- 41.17%
- Q3
- 15.28%
- Median
- 4.63%
- PANW
- 2.67%
- Q1
- -5.42%
- Min
- -33.17%
Operating Margin (TTM)
AppLovin (APP) at 78.22% turns sales into operating profit above its industry’s benchmark range, while Palo Alto Networks (PANW) at 5.40% operates around its industry’s norm.
APP
Software & Services industry group
78.22%
- APP
- 78.22%
- Max
- 46.89%
- Q3
- 17.64%
- Median
- 8.73%
- Q1
- -2.13%
- Min
- -30.45%
PANW
Software & Services industry group
5.40%
- Max
- 46.89%
- Q3
- 17.64%
- Median
- 8.73%
- PANW
- 5.40%
- Q1
- -2.13%
- Min
- -30.45%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | APP | PANW |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 210.09% | 1.74% |
| ROA (TTM) | 49.57% | 1.40% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 65.89% | 2.67% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 78.22% | 5.40% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 88.78% | 70.38% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
AppLovin (APP) at 69.99% clears its industry range for revenue growth, far stronger top-line momentum than Palo Alto Networks (PANW) at 24.50%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.
EPS Growth
AppLovin (APP) at 115.23% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Palo Alto Networks (PANW) at -75.00% is in the bottom quartile, showing a clear gap in earnings momentum.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | APP | PANW |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 69.99% | 24.50% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 24.84% | 18.54% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 115.23% | -75.00% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | -14.50% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
AppLovin (APP) at 3.81 carries current ratio above its industry’s typical mid-range, while Palo Alto Networks (PANW) at 0.87 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — different working-capital profiles, both worth examining.
APP
Software & Services industry group
3.81
- Max
- 5.11
- APP
- 3.81
- Q3
- 2.77
- Median
- 1.67
- Q1
- 1.01
- Min
- 0.03
PANW
Software & Services industry group
0.87
- Max
- 5.11
- Q3
- 2.77
- Median
- 1.67
- Q1
- 1.01
- PANW
- 0.87
- Min
- 0.03
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both AppLovin (APP) at 1.07 and Palo Alto Networks (PANW) at 0.09 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.
APP
Software & Services industry group
1.07
- Max
- 2.52
- Q3
- 1.13
- APP
- 1.07
- Median
- 0.40
- Q1
- 0.07
- Min
- 0.00
PANW
Software & Services industry group
0.09
- Max
- 2.52
- Q3
- 1.13
- Median
- 0.40
- PANW
- 0.09
- Q1
- 0.07
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | APP | PANW |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 3.81 | 0.87 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 1.07 | 0.09 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 0.06 | -0.32 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither AppLovin (APP) nor Palo Alto Networks (PANW) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
APP
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- APP
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
PANW
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- PANW
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Neither AppLovin (APP) nor Palo Alto Networks (PANW) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
APP
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- APP
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
PANW
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- PANW
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | APP | PANW |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
AppLovin (APP) at 26.34 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Palo Alto Networks (PANW) at 784.60 sits above its peer range — an unusually expensive price for PANW’s trailing earnings.
APP
Software & Services industry group
26.34
- Max
- 112.94
- Q3
- 60.32
- Median
- 32.91
- APP
- 26.34
- Q1
- 18.77
- Min
- 6.69
PANW
Software & Services industry group
784.60
- PANW
- 784.60
- Max
- 112.94
- Q3
- 60.32
- Median
- 32.91
- Q1
- 18.77
- Min
- 6.69
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Both look expensive on sales: AppLovin (APP) at 17.04 sits in the upper P/S ratio quartile, and Palo Alto Networks (PANW) at 22.37 prices even higher, above its industry range.
APP
Software & Services industry group
17.04
- Max
- 17.91
- APP
- 17.04
- Q3
- 8.78
- Median
- 4.25
- Q1
- 2.23
- Min
- 0.02
PANW
Software & Services industry group
22.37
- PANW
- 22.37
- Max
- 17.91
- Q3
- 8.78
- Median
- 4.25
- Q1
- 2.23
- Min
- 0.02
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Both look rich against book: Palo Alto Networks (PANW) at 9.30 sits in the upper P/B ratio quartile, and AppLovin (APP) at 39.29 prices even higher, above its industry range.
APP
Software & Services industry group
39.29
- APP
- 39.29
- Max
- 16.63
- Q3
- 8.50
- Median
- 4.30
- Q1
- 1.92
- Min
- -3.90
PANW
Software & Services industry group
9.30
- Max
- 16.63
- PANW
- 9.30
- Q3
- 8.50
- Median
- 4.30
- Q1
- 1.92
- Min
- -3.90
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | APP | PANW |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 26.34 | 784.60 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 17.04 | 22.37 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 39.29 | 9.30 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 2.87% | 1.65% |