BSY vs. VRSN: Bentley Systems vs. VeriSign Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do Bentley Systems (BSY) and VeriSign (VRSN) 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

Bentley Systems (BSY) and VeriSign (VRSN) both fall under the Software & Services industry group, but BSY is classified in Software while VRSN is classified in IT Services.

VeriSign (VRSN) has more than two decades of public-market history since January 30, 1998, whereas Bentley Systems (BSY) listed on September 23, 2020 and has a much shorter record to draw on.

Company profile comparison for Bentley Systems (BSY) and VeriSign (VRSN)
Profile Item	BSY	VRSN
Name	Bentley Systems, Incorporated Class B Common Stock	VeriSign, Inc.
Country/Region	United States	United States
GICS Sector	Information Technology	Information Technology
GICS Industry Group	Software & Services	Software & Services
GICS Industry	Software	IT Services
GICS Sub-Industry	Application Software	Internet Services & Infrastructure
Market Capitalization	13.50 billion USD	27.69 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	Nasdaq	Nasdaq
Listing Date	September 23, 2020	January 30, 1998
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

BSY

VRSN

GSPC

Bentley Systems (BSY) vs. VeriSign (VRSN), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Bentley Systems (BSY) and VeriSign (VRSN). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Bentley Systems (BSY) and VeriSign (VRSN). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Bentley Systems (BSY) and VeriSign (VRSN)
Metric	BSY	VRSN
Total Return (1Y)	-2.57%	28.37%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	-3.01%	15.25%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	-5.13%	5.98%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

BSY

VRSN

GSPC

Bentley Systems (BSY) vs. VeriSign (VRSN), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Bentley Systems (BSY) and VeriSign (VRSN). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Bentley Systems (BSY) and VeriSign (VRSN)
Metric	BSY	VRSN
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	41.49%	28.25%
Beta (5Y)	0.92	0.67
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-53.94%	-38.85%
Avg. Volume (3M)	2.67M	869.64K

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

BSY and VRSN are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Bentley Systems (BSY) and VeriSign (VRSN)
Metric	BSY	VRSN
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	-0.17	0.85
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	-0.25	1.24

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Capital efficiency shows on one side only: Bentley Systems (BSY) earns 26.03% on shareholders’ equity, ranked against its industry; VeriSign (VRSN) has no ROE this period.

BSY

Software & Services industry group

26.03%

Max: 53.85%
BSY: 26.03%
Q3: 17.90%
Median: 6.59%
Q1: -9.59%
Min: -50.52%

VRSN

Software & Services industry group

Max: 53.85%
Q3: 17.90%
Median: 6.59%
Q1: -9.59%
Min: -50.52%
VRSN: --

Bentley Systems (BSY) vs. VeriSign (VRSN): VRSN does not report ROE, so it has no value marker; BSY is benchmarked against the Software & Services industry group.

Net Margin (TTM)

VeriSign (VRSN) at 49.07% keeps the most of each sales dollar — above its industry’s net margin range — and Bentley Systems (BSY) at 19.57% also retains a top-quartile share.

BSY

Software & Services industry group

19.57%

Max: 41.17%
BSY: 19.57%
Q3: 15.28%
Median: 4.63%
Q1: -5.42%
Min: -33.17%

VRSN

Software & Services industry group

49.07%

VRSN: 49.07%
Max: 41.17%
Q3: 15.28%
Median: 4.63%
Q1: -5.42%
Min: -33.17%

Bentley Systems (BSY) vs. VeriSign (VRSN): A comparison of their net margin against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

VeriSign (VRSN) at 68.62% shows unusually strong operating efficiency — above its industry’s operating margin range — and Bentley Systems (BSY) at 29.81% also operates in the top quartile.

BSY

Software & Services industry group

29.81%

Max: 46.89%
BSY: 29.81%
Q3: 17.64%
Median: 8.73%
Q1: -2.13%
Min: -30.45%

VRSN

Software & Services industry group

68.62%

VRSN: 68.62%
Max: 46.89%
Q3: 17.64%
Median: 8.73%
Q1: -2.13%
Min: -30.45%

Bentley Systems (BSY) vs. VeriSign (VRSN): A comparison of their operating margin against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Bentley Systems (BSY) and VeriSign (VRSN)
Metric	BSY	VRSN
ROE (TTM)	26.03%	--
ROA (TTM)	7.73%	54.90%
Net Margin (TTM)	19.57%	49.07%
Operating Margin (TTM)	29.81%	68.62%
Gross Margin (TTM)	82.37%	88.57%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Bentley Systems (BSY) at 10.99% is around its peer norm for revenue growth, while VeriSign (VRSN) at 6.37% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker demand or pricing momentum.

Bentley Systems (BSY) vs. VeriSign (VRSN): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Both Bentley Systems (BSY) at 18.06% and VeriSign (VRSN) at 10.13% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

Bentley Systems (BSY) vs. VeriSign (VRSN): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Bentley Systems (BSY) and VeriSign (VRSN)
Metric	BSY	VRSN
Revenue Growth (YoY)	10.99%	6.37%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	10.97%	5.15%
EPS Growth (YoY)	18.06%	10.13%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	15.62%	12.18%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Both Bentley Systems (BSY) at 0.65 and VeriSign (VRSN) at 0.42 run current ratio in the tighter-liquidity quartile of industry peers, leaving thinner cushions against current liabilities than typical competitors.

BSY

Software & Services industry group

0.65

Max: 5.11
Q3: 2.77
Median: 1.67
Q1: 1.01
BSY: 0.65
Min: 0.03

VRSN

Software & Services industry group

0.42

Max: 5.11
Q3: 2.77
Median: 1.67
Q1: 1.01
VRSN: 0.42
Min: 0.03

Bentley Systems (BSY) vs. VeriSign (VRSN): A comparison of their current ratio against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Only one side’s leverage can be read here: Bentley Systems (BSY) carries debt-to-equity ratio of 0.94 against its industry range, while VeriSign (VRSN) reports no figure this period.

BSY

Software & Services industry group

0.94

Max: 2.52
Q3: 1.13
BSY: 0.94
Median: 0.40
Q1: 0.07
Min: 0.00

VRSN

Software & Services industry group

Max: 2.52
Q3: 1.13
Median: 0.40
Q1: 0.07
Min: 0.00
VRSN: --

Bentley Systems (BSY) vs. VeriSign (VRSN): VRSN does not report debt-to-equity ratio, so it has no value marker; BSY is benchmarked against the Software & Services industry group.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Bentley Systems (BSY) and VeriSign (VRSN)
Metric	BSY	VRSN
Current Ratio (MRQ)	0.65	0.42
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	0.94	--
Net Debt / EBITDA	2.12	1.09

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Both Bentley Systems (BSY) at 0.62% and VeriSign (VRSN) at 1.03% yield above their industries’ entire benchmark ranges — high enough that dividend safety, not income, becomes the first question.

BSY

Software & Services industry group

0.62%

BSY: 0.62%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

VRSN

Software & Services industry group

1.03%

VRSN: 1.03%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Bentley Systems (BSY) vs. VeriSign (VRSN): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Both Bentley Systems (BSY) at 27.72% and VeriSign (VRSN) at 34.45% pay out more of their earnings than any of their industry peers — the thinnest cover in their groups, so dividend headroom deserves attention.

BSY

Software & Services industry group

27.72%

BSY: 27.72%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

VRSN

Software & Services industry group

34.45%

VRSN: 34.45%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Bentley Systems (BSY) vs. VeriSign (VRSN): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Bentley Systems (BSY) and VeriSign (VRSN)
Metric	BSY	VRSN
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.62%	1.03%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	27.72%	34.45%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both Bentley Systems (BSY) at 44.21 and VeriSign (VRSN) at 33.23 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.

BSY

Software & Services industry group

44.21

Max: 112.94
Q3: 60.32
BSY: 44.21
Median: 32.91
Q1: 18.77
Min: 6.69

VRSN

Software & Services industry group

33.23

Max: 112.94
Q3: 60.32
VRSN: 33.23
Median: 32.91
Q1: 18.77
Min: 6.69

Bentley Systems (BSY) vs. VeriSign (VRSN): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Bentley Systems (BSY) at 8.19 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while VeriSign (VRSN) at 15.99 sits in the pricier quartile — VRSN costs more per dollar of sales.

BSY

Software & Services industry group

8.19

Max: 17.91
Q3: 8.78
BSY: 8.19
Median: 4.25
Q1: 2.23
Min: 0.02

VRSN

Software & Services industry group

15.99

Max: 17.91
VRSN: 15.99
Q3: 8.78
Median: 4.25
Q1: 2.23
Min: 0.02

Bentley Systems (BSY) vs. VeriSign (VRSN): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

VeriSign (VRSN) reports a negative P/B ratio of -12.13, meaning negative book equity — the multiple itself is not meaningful for valuation. Meanwhile Bentley Systems (BSY) reports 10.79, ranking against industry peers normally.

BSY

Software & Services industry group

10.79

Max: 16.63
BSY: 10.79
Q3: 8.50
Median: 4.30
Q1: 1.92
Min: -3.90

VRSN

Software & Services industry group

-12.13

Max: 16.63
Q3: 8.50
Median: 4.30
Q1: 1.92
Min: -3.90
VRSN: -12.13

Bentley Systems (BSY) vs. VeriSign (VRSN): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Bentley Systems (BSY) and VeriSign (VRSN)
Metric	BSY	VRSN
P/E Ratio (TTM)	44.21	33.23
P/S Ratio (TTM)	8.19	15.99
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	10.79	-12.13
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	2.74%	2.89%