DOCU vs. PANW: DocuSign vs. Palo Alto Networks Stock Comparison
How do DocuSign (DOCU) 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
DocuSign (DOCU) and Palo Alto Networks (PANW) both belong to the Software industry, though DOCU is classified under Application Software while PANW falls under Systems Software.
| Profile Item | DOCU | PANW |
|---|---|---|
| Name | DocuSign Inc. | 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 | 14.51 billion USD | 256.86 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | April 27, 2018 | July 20, 2012 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | DOCU | PANW |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 12.03% | 53.99% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 24.94% | 39.16% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | -22.27% | 30.80% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | DOCU | PANW |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 48.32% | 51.34% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.79 | 1.00 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -86.00% | -36.01% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 2.99M | 6.03M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | DOCU | PANW |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.16 | 0.97 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.23 | 1.49 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both DocuSign (DOCU) at 17.80% and Palo Alto Networks (PANW) at 1.74% land near their industries’ usual ROE ranges, so capital efficiency looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
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%
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)
Both DocuSign (DOCU) at 9.82% and Palo Alto Networks (PANW) at 2.67% keep about the typical share of revenue as profit for their industries — neither bottom line stands out from peers.
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%
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)
Both DocuSign (DOCU) at 13.43% and Palo Alto Networks (PANW) at 5.40% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.
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%
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 | DOCU | PANW |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 17.80% | 1.74% |
| ROA (TTM) | 6.35% | 1.40% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 9.82% | 2.67% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 13.43% | 5.40% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 79.61% | 70.38% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both DocuSign (DOCU) at 8.16% and Palo Alto Networks (PANW) at 24.50% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
EPS Growth
Both DocuSign (DOCU) at -70.87% and Palo Alto Networks (PANW) at -75.00% post bottom-quartile EPS growth versus peers, pointing to weaker earnings momentum than typical rivals.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | DOCU | PANW |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 8.16% | 24.50% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 8.57% | 18.54% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -70.87% | -75.00% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | -14.50% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Both DocuSign (DOCU) at 0.64 and Palo Alto Networks (PANW) at 0.87 run current ratio in the tighter-liquidity quartile of industry peers, leaving thinner cushions against current liabilities than typical competitors.
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
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 DocuSign (DOCU) at 0.11 and Palo Alto Networks (PANW) at 0.09 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.
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
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 | DOCU | PANW |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.64 | 0.87 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.11 | 0.09 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -1.35 | -0.32 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither DocuSign (DOCU) nor Palo Alto Networks (PANW) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
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%
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 DocuSign (DOCU) nor Palo Alto Networks (PANW) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
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%
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 | DOCU | PANW |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
DocuSign (DOCU) at 47.32 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.
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
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)
DocuSign (DOCU) at 4.32 prices around its industry’s typical P/S ratio, while Palo Alto Networks (PANW) at 22.37 clears its benchmark range — PANW looks notably rich on sales.
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
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)
DocuSign (DOCU) at 8.50 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while Palo Alto Networks (PANW) at 9.30 carries an above-peer premium to book — PANW is pricier on assets.
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
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 | DOCU | PANW |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 47.32 | 784.60 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 4.32 | 22.37 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 8.50 | 9.30 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 9.05% | 1.65% |