FFIV vs. ZBRA: F5 vs. Zebra Stock Comparison
How do F5 (FFIV) and Zebra (ZBRA) 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
F5 (FFIV) and Zebra (ZBRA) both fall under the Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group, but FFIV is classified in Communications Equipment while ZBRA is classified in Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components.
| Profile Item | FFIV | ZBRA |
|---|---|---|
| Name | F5, Inc. | Zebra Technologies Corp. Class A Common Stock |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Information Technology | Information Technology |
| GICS Industry Group | Technology Hardware & Equipment | Technology Hardware & Equipment |
| GICS Industry | Communications Equipment | Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Communications Equipment | Electronic Equipment & Instruments |
| Market Capitalization | 17.66 billion USD | 15.16 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | June 4, 1999 | August 15, 1991 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | FFIV | ZBRA |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 30.07% | 26.64% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 27.03% | 17.52% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 7.22% | -11.21% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | FFIV | ZBRA |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 40.81% | 47.91% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.09 | 1.64 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -47.42% | -67.78% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 692.80K | 596.00K |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | FFIV | ZBRA |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.63 | 0.47 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.84 | 0.82 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both F5 (FFIV) at 19.01% and Zebra (ZBRA) at 16.46% land near their industries’ usual ROE ranges, so capital efficiency looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
FFIV
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
19.01%
- Max
- 42.47%
- Q3
- 19.13%
- FFIV
- 19.01%
- Median
- 11.00%
- Q1
- 1.63%
- Min
- -20.62%
ZBRA
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
16.46%
- Max
- 42.47%
- Q3
- 19.13%
- ZBRA
- 16.46%
- Median
- 11.00%
- Q1
- 1.63%
- Min
- -20.62%
Net Margin (TTM)
F5 (FFIV) at 21.14% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Zebra (ZBRA) at 9.80%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.
FFIV
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
21.14%
- Max
- 27.60%
- FFIV
- 21.14%
- Q3
- 11.66%
- Median
- 4.08%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- -11.02%
ZBRA
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
9.80%
- Max
- 27.60%
- Q3
- 11.66%
- ZBRA
- 9.80%
- Median
- 4.08%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- -11.02%
Operating Margin (TTM)
F5 (FFIV) at 23.99% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Zebra (ZBRA) at 14.75%, which runs around its industry’s norm.
FFIV
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
23.99%
- Max
- 36.27%
- FFIV
- 23.99%
- Q3
- 18.36%
- Median
- 8.84%
- Q1
- 1.46%
- Min
- -21.39%
ZBRA
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
14.75%
- Max
- 36.27%
- Q3
- 18.36%
- ZBRA
- 14.75%
- Median
- 8.84%
- Q1
- 1.46%
- Min
- -21.39%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | FFIV | ZBRA |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 19.01% | 16.46% |
| ROA (TTM) | 7.74% | 7.51% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 21.14% | 9.80% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 23.99% | 14.75% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 81.98% | 48.90% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Only one side can be read here: Zebra (ZBRA) reports revenue growth of 8.33%, ranked against its industry; F5 (FFIV) has no revenue growth figure this period.
EPS Growth
Both F5 (FFIV) at 6.10% and Zebra (ZBRA) at -19.65% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | FFIV | ZBRA |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | -- | 8.33% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | -2.27% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 6.10% | -19.65% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 24.10% | -2.41% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
F5 (FFIV) at 1.73 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Zebra (ZBRA) at 0.57 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for ZBRA.
FFIV
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
1.73
- Max
- 5.34
- Q3
- 3.02
- Median
- 1.95
- FFIV
- 1.73
- Q1
- 1.32
- Min
- 0.17
ZBRA
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
0.57
- Max
- 5.34
- Q3
- 3.02
- Median
- 1.95
- Q1
- 1.32
- ZBRA
- 0.57
- Min
- 0.17
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both F5 (FFIV) at 0.05 and Zebra (ZBRA) at 0.78 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.
FFIV
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
0.05
- Max
- 1.76
- Q3
- 0.78
- Median
- 0.24
- FFIV
- 0.05
- Q1
- 0.04
- Min
- 0.01
ZBRA
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
0.78
- Max
- 1.76
- ZBRA
- 0.78
- Q3
- 0.78
- Median
- 0.24
- Q1
- 0.04
- Min
- 0.01
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | FFIV | ZBRA |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.73 | 0.57 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.05 | 0.78 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -1.49 | 2.09 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither F5 (FFIV) nor Zebra (ZBRA) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
FFIV
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 0.73%
- Q3
- 0.31%
- FFIV
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
ZBRA
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 0.73%
- Q3
- 0.31%
- ZBRA
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Neither F5 (FFIV) nor Zebra (ZBRA) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
FFIV
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 32.27%
- Q3
- 14.48%
- FFIV
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
ZBRA
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 32.27%
- Q3
- 14.48%
- ZBRA
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | FFIV | ZBRA |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both F5 (FFIV) at 24.83 and Zebra (ZBRA) at 26.03 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.
FFIV
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
24.83
- Max
- 69.48
- Q3
- 41.02
- Median
- 26.39
- FFIV
- 24.83
- Q1
- 19.36
- Min
- 6.07
ZBRA
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
26.03
- Max
- 69.48
- Q3
- 41.02
- Median
- 26.39
- ZBRA
- 26.03
- Q1
- 19.36
- Min
- 6.07
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both F5 (FFIV) at 5.17 and Zebra (ZBRA) at 2.47 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.
FFIV
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
5.17
- Max
- 11.30
- Q3
- 5.82
- FFIV
- 5.17
- Median
- 2.56
- Q1
- 1.05
- Min
- 0.00
ZBRA
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
2.47
- Max
- 11.30
- Q3
- 5.82
- Median
- 2.56
- ZBRA
- 2.47
- Q1
- 1.05
- Min
- 0.00
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
On P/B ratio, both F5 (FFIV) at 4.41 and Zebra (ZBRA) at 4.26 are valued close to their industries’ norm against book — neither stands out from peers.
FFIV
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
4.41
- Max
- 10.75
- Q3
- 5.52
- FFIV
- 4.41
- Median
- 3.17
- Q1
- 1.79
- Min
- 0.33
ZBRA
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
4.26
- Max
- 10.75
- Q3
- 5.52
- ZBRA
- 4.26
- Median
- 3.17
- Q1
- 1.79
- Min
- 0.33
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | FFIV | ZBRA |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 24.83 | 26.03 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 5.17 | 2.47 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 4.41 | 4.26 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 3.63% | 4.61% |