DOCU vs. VRSN: DocuSign vs. VeriSign Stock Comparison
How do DocuSign (DOCU) 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
DocuSign (DOCU) and VeriSign (VRSN) both fall under the Software & Services industry group, but DOCU is classified in Software while VRSN is classified in IT Services.
| Profile Item | DOCU | VRSN |
|---|---|---|
| Name | DocuSign Inc. | 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 | 14.51 billion USD | 27.69 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | April 27, 2018 | January 30, 1998 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | DOCU | VRSN |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 12.03% | 28.37% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 24.94% | 15.25% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | -22.27% | 5.98% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | DOCU | VRSN |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 48.32% | 28.25% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.79 | 0.67 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -86.00% | -38.85% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 2.99M | 869.64K |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | DOCU | VRSN |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.16 | 0.85 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.23 | 1.24 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Capital efficiency shows on one side only: DocuSign (DOCU) earns 17.80% on shareholders’ equity, ranked against its industry; VeriSign (VRSN) has no ROE this period.
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%
VRSN
Software & Services industry group
--
- Max
- 53.85%
- Q3
- 17.90%
- Median
- 6.59%
- Q1
- -9.59%
- Min
- -50.52%
- VRSN
- --
Net Margin (TTM)
VeriSign (VRSN) at 49.07% converts revenue to bottom-line profit above its industry’s benchmark range, while DocuSign (DOCU) at 9.82% keeps roughly the typical share for its industry.
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%
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%
Operating Margin (TTM)
VeriSign (VRSN) at 68.62% turns sales into operating profit above its industry’s benchmark range, while DocuSign (DOCU) at 13.43% operates around its industry’s norm.
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%
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%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | DOCU | VRSN |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 17.80% | -- |
| ROA (TTM) | 6.35% | 54.90% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 9.82% | 49.07% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 13.43% | 68.62% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 79.61% | 88.57% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
DocuSign (DOCU) at 8.16% 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.
EPS Growth
VeriSign (VRSN) at 10.13% is around its peer norm for EPS growth, while DocuSign (DOCU) at -70.87% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker earnings momentum.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | DOCU | VRSN |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 8.16% | 6.37% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 8.57% | 5.15% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -70.87% | 10.13% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | 12.18% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Both DocuSign (DOCU) at 0.64 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.
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
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
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Only one side’s leverage can be read here: DocuSign (DOCU) carries debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11 against its industry range, while VeriSign (VRSN) reports no figure this period.
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
VRSN
Software & Services industry group
--
- Max
- 2.52
- Q3
- 1.13
- Median
- 0.40
- Q1
- 0.07
- Min
- 0.00
- VRSN
- --
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | DOCU | VRSN |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.64 | 0.42 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.11 | -- |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -1.35 | 1.09 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
DocuSign (DOCU) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile VeriSign (VRSN) reports a yield of 1.03%, ranking against industry peers normally.
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%
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%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
DocuSign (DOCU) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile VeriSign (VRSN) reports a payout of 34.45%, ranking against industry peers normally.
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%
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%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | DOCU | VRSN |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 1.03% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 34.45% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both DocuSign (DOCU) at 47.32 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.
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
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
P/S Ratio (TTM)
DocuSign (DOCU) at 4.32 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.
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
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
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 DocuSign (DOCU) reports 8.50, ranking against industry peers normally.
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
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
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | DOCU | VRSN |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 47.32 | 33.23 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 4.32 | 15.99 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 8.50 | -12.13 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 9.05% | 2.89% |