APP vs. WDAY: AppLovin vs. Workday Stock Comparison
How do AppLovin (APP) and Workday (WDAY) 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 Workday (WDAY) are both classified in the Application Software sub-industry within the broader Software industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.
| Profile Item | APP | WDAY |
|---|---|---|
| Name | AppLovin Corporation Class A Common Stock | Workday Inc Class A Common Stock |
| 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 | 129.62 billion USD | 46.49 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | April 15, 2021 | October 12, 2012 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | APP | WDAY |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | -34.71% | -14.74% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 116.87% | -5.22% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 31.34% | -8.14% |
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 Workday (WDAY) is closer to market-like at 1.01 — a noticeable difference in market-sensitivity profile.
| Metric | APP | WDAY |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 80.36% | 54.35% |
| Beta (5Y) | 2.25 | 1.01 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -91.90% | -63.38% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 5.33M | 3.14M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | APP | WDAY |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.49 | -0.35 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -0.69 | -0.54 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
AppLovin (APP) at 210.09% clears its industry range for ROE, a sharper capital-efficiency signal than Workday (WDAY) at 16.01%, 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%
WDAY
Software & Services industry group
16.01%
- Max
- 53.85%
- Q3
- 17.90%
- WDAY
- 16.01%
- Median
- 6.59%
- 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 Workday (WDAY) at 12.32% 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%
WDAY
Software & Services industry group
12.32%
- Max
- 41.17%
- Q3
- 15.28%
- WDAY
- 12.32%
- Median
- 4.63%
- 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 Workday (WDAY) at 11.82% 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%
WDAY
Software & Services industry group
11.82%
- Max
- 46.89%
- Q3
- 17.64%
- WDAY
- 11.82%
- Median
- 8.73%
- Q1
- -2.13%
- Min
- -30.45%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | APP | WDAY |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 210.09% | 16.01% |
| ROA (TTM) | 49.57% | 4.51% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 65.89% | 12.32% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 78.22% | 11.82% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 88.78% | 75.80% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
AppLovin (APP) at 69.99% clears its industry range for revenue growth, far stronger top-line momentum than Workday (WDAY) at 13.10%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.
EPS Growth
AppLovin (APP) at 115.23% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Workday (WDAY) at 32.82% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for APP.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | APP | WDAY |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 69.99% | 13.10% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 24.84% | 15.40% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 115.23% | 32.82% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
AppLovin (APP) at 3.81 carries current ratio above its industry’s typical mid-range, while Workday (WDAY) at 0.91 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
WDAY
Software & Services industry group
0.91
- Max
- 5.11
- Q3
- 2.77
- Median
- 1.67
- Q1
- 1.01
- WDAY
- 0.91
- Min
- 0.03
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both AppLovin (APP) at 1.07 and Workday (WDAY) at 0.58 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
WDAY
Software & Services industry group
0.58
- Max
- 2.52
- Q3
- 1.13
- WDAY
- 0.58
- Median
- 0.40
- Q1
- 0.07
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | APP | WDAY |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 3.81 | 0.91 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 1.07 | 0.58 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 0.06 | 0.23 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither AppLovin (APP) nor Workday (WDAY) 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%
WDAY
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- WDAY
- 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 Workday (WDAY) 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%
WDAY
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- WDAY
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | APP | WDAY |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both AppLovin (APP) at 26.34 and Workday (WDAY) at 39.29 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.
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
WDAY
Software & Services industry group
39.29
- Max
- 112.94
- Q3
- 60.32
- WDAY
- 39.29
- Median
- 32.91
- Q1
- 18.77
- Min
- 6.69
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Workday (WDAY) at 4.58 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while AppLovin (APP) at 17.04 sits in the pricier quartile — APP costs more per dollar of sales.
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
WDAY
Software & Services industry group
4.58
- Max
- 17.91
- Q3
- 8.78
- WDAY
- 4.58
- Median
- 4.25
- Q1
- 2.23
- Min
- 0.02
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Workday (WDAY) at 7.20 sits near its industry’s typical P/B ratio, while AppLovin (APP) at 39.29 prices above its benchmark range — APP looks rich relative to book.
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
WDAY
Software & Services industry group
7.20
- Max
- 16.63
- Q3
- 8.50
- WDAY
- 7.20
- Median
- 4.30
- Q1
- 1.92
- Min
- -3.90
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | APP | WDAY |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 26.34 | 39.29 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 17.04 | 4.58 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 39.29 | 7.20 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 2.87% | 6.55% |