FICO vs. GDS: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at FICO and GDS, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Profile
FICO is a standard domestic listing, while GDS trades as an American Depositary Receipt (ADR), offering U.S. investors access to its foreign-listed shares.
| Symbol | FICO | GDS |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Fair Isaac Corporation | GDS Holdings Limited |
| Country | United States | China |
| GICS Sector | Information Technology | Information Technology |
| GICS Industry | Software | IT Services |
| Market Capitalization | 44.42 billion USD | 7.79 billion USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NasdaqGM |
| Listing Date | July 22, 1987 | November 2, 2016 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | ADR |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of FICO and GDS by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period. Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.
Historical Performance at a Glance
| Symbol | FICO | GDS |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Day Price Return | 21.32% | 0.71% |
| 13-Week Price Return | -0.25% | 23.16% |
| 26-Week Price Return | 0.35% | 53.06% |
| 52-Week Price Return | -4.52% | -19.97% |
| Month-to-Date Return | 23.66% | -0.90% |
| Year-to-Date Return | -7.05% | 74.21% |
| 10-Day Avg. Volume | 0.39M | 12.52M |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 0.34M | 10.14M |
| 3-Month Volatility | 53.43% | 62.59% |
| Beta | 1.29 | 1.88 |
Profitability
Return on Equity (TTM)
FICO
145.71%
Software Industry
- Max
- 66.28%
- Q3
- 21.28%
- Median
- 9.33%
- Q1
- -8.77%
- Min
- -48.16%
FICO’s Return on Equity of 145.71% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Software industry. This demonstrates a superior ability to generate profit from shareholder investments, though it could also be inflated by high financial leverage.
GDS
19.17%
IT Services Industry
- Max
- 32.78%
- Q3
- 19.28%
- Median
- 13.86%
- Q1
- 5.50%
- Min
- -10.00%
GDS’s Return on Equity of 19.17% is on par with the norm for the IT Services industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
Net Profit Margin (TTM)
FICO
32.80%
Software Industry
- Max
- 51.92%
- Q3
- 19.23%
- Median
- 6.98%
- Q1
- -7.14%
- Min
- -41.00%
A Net Profit Margin of 32.80% places FICO in the upper quartile for the Software industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
GDS
42.87%
IT Services Industry
- Max
- 19.71%
- Q3
- 11.01%
- Median
- 6.66%
- Q1
- 2.96%
- Min
- -6.22%
GDS’s Net Profit Margin of 42.87% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the IT Services industry. This demonstrates outstanding operational efficiency and a strong competitive advantage in converting revenue into profit.
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)
FICO
45.87%
Software Industry
- Max
- 60.40%
- Q3
- 21.25%
- Median
- 9.90%
- Q1
- -4.97%
- Min
- -43.50%
An Operating Profit Margin of 45.87% places FICO in the upper quartile for the Software industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
GDS
22.44%
IT Services Industry
- Max
- 22.44%
- Q3
- 14.90%
- Median
- 8.82%
- Q1
- 4.91%
- Min
- -9.89%
An Operating Profit Margin of 22.44% places GDS in the upper quartile for the IT Services industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | FICO | GDS |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 145.71% | 19.17% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 35.53% | 6.08% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 32.80% | 42.87% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 45.87% | 22.44% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 81.75% | 21.45% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
FICO
0.92
Software Industry
- Max
- 4.29
- Q3
- 2.37
- Median
- 1.40
- Q1
- 1.03
- Min
- 0.25
FICO’s Current Ratio of 0.92 falls into the lower quartile for the Software industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.
GDS
2.00
IT Services Industry
- Max
- 3.17
- Q3
- 2.00
- Median
- 1.47
- Q1
- 1.05
- Min
- 0.52
GDS’s Current Ratio of 2.00 aligns with the median group of the IT Services industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)
FICO
8.46
Software Industry
- Max
- 2.16
- Q3
- 0.86
- Median
- 0.31
- Q1
- 0.00
- Min
- 0.00
With a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 8.46, FICO operates with exceptionally high leverage compared to the Software industry norm. This suggests an aggressive reliance on debt financing, which can magnify returns but also significantly elevates financial risk.
GDS
1.82
IT Services Industry
- Max
- 3.11
- Q3
- 1.55
- Median
- 0.55
- Q1
- 0.17
- Min
- 0.00
GDS’s leverage is in the upper quartile of the IT Services industry, with a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.82. While this approach can boost equity growth, it also exposes the company to greater financial vulnerability.
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)
FICO
7.08
Software Industry
- Max
- 89.65
- Q3
- 32.64
- Median
- 1.00
- Q1
- -9.84
- Min
- -71.23
FICO’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 7.08 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Software industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
GDS
0.66
IT Services Industry
- Max
- 129.00
- Q3
- 56.00
- Median
- 11.69
- Q1
- 0.77
- Min
- -28.15
GDS’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 0.66 is a critical concern. A value below 1.0 means operating earnings are insufficient to cover interest expenses, indicating severe financial strain and high default risk.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | FICO | GDS |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.92 | 2.00 |
| Quick Ratio (MRQ) | 0.83 | 1.93 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 8.46 | 1.82 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 7.08 | 0.66 |
Growth
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield (TTM)
FICO
0.00%
Software Industry
- Max
- 0.22%
- Q3
- 0.11%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
FICO currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.
GDS
0.00%
IT Services Industry
- Max
- 2.79%
- Q3
- 1.76%
- Median
- 0.58%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
GDS currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
FICO
0.00%
Software Industry
- Max
- 3.29%
- Q3
- 2.41%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
FICO has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 0%, indicating it does not currently pay a dividend. This is a common strategy for growth-oriented companies that reinvest all profits back into the business.
GDS
0.00%
IT Services Industry
- Max
- 107.85%
- Q3
- 52.62%
- Median
- 22.53%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
GDS has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 0%, indicating it does not currently pay a dividend. This is a common strategy for growth-oriented companies that reinvest all profits back into the business.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | FICO | GDS |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
FICO
70.45
Software Industry
- Max
- 145.74
- Q3
- 94.88
- Median
- 45.35
- Q1
- 26.66
- Min
- 8.80
FICO’s P/E Ratio of 70.45 is within the middle range for the Software industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
GDS
12.94
IT Services Industry
- Max
- 56.41
- Q3
- 33.17
- Median
- 23.17
- Q1
- 16.18
- Min
- 6.62
In the lower quartile for the IT Services industry, GDS’s P/E Ratio of 12.94 suggests the stock may be undervalued compared to its peers, potentially presenting an attractive entry point for investors.
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)
FICO
23.10
Software Industry
- Max
- 25.67
- Q3
- 13.68
- Median
- 8.28
- Q1
- 4.95
- Min
- 0.90
FICO’s P/S Ratio of 23.10 is in the upper echelon for the Software industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.
GDS
5.55
IT Services Industry
- Max
- 5.99
- Q3
- 4.26
- Median
- 1.93
- Q1
- 0.97
- Min
- 0.12
GDS’s P/S Ratio of 5.55 is in the upper echelon for the IT Services industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)
FICO
115.88
Software Industry
- Max
- 30.67
- Q3
- 14.92
- Median
- 8.52
- Q1
- 3.89
- Min
- 0.38
At 115.88, FICO’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Software industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.
GDS
1.62
IT Services Industry
- Max
- 12.34
- Q3
- 7.54
- Median
- 3.84
- Q1
- 2.52
- Min
- 0.88
GDS’s P/B Ratio of 1.62 is in the lower quartile for the IT Services industry. From a value investing perspective, this is favorable, as it suggests the stock is trading at a discount to its net asset value and may offer a greater margin of safety.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | FICO | GDS |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 70.45 | 12.94 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 23.10 | 5.55 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 115.88 | 1.62 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 59.59 | -- |