FICO vs. PANW: Fair Isaac vs. Palo Alto Networks Stock Comparison
How do Fair Isaac (FICO) 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
Fair Isaac (FICO) and Palo Alto Networks (PANW) both belong to the Software industry, though FICO is classified under Application Software while PANW falls under Systems Software.
| Profile Item | FICO | PANW |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Fair Isaac Corp. | 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 | 15.22 billion USD | 256.86 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | July 22, 1987 | July 20, 2012 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | FICO | PANW |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | -58.54% | 53.99% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | -9.17% | 39.16% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 12.31% | 30.80% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | FICO | PANW |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 63.29% | 51.34% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.33 | 1.00 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -75.13% | -36.01% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 759.34K | 6.03M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | FICO | PANW |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.99 | 0.97 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -1.20 | 1.49 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Capital efficiency shows on one side only: Palo Alto Networks (PANW) earns 1.74% on shareholders’ equity, ranked against its industry; Fair Isaac (FICO) has no ROE this period.
FICO
Software & Services industry group
--
- Max
- 53.85%
- Q3
- 17.90%
- Median
- 6.59%
- Q1
- -9.59%
- Min
- -50.52%
- FICO
- --
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)
Fair Isaac (FICO) at 32.94% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Palo Alto Networks (PANW) at 2.67%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.
FICO
Software & Services industry group
32.94%
- Max
- 41.17%
- FICO
- 32.94%
- Q3
- 15.28%
- 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)
Fair Isaac (FICO) at 44.72% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Palo Alto Networks (PANW) at 5.40%, which runs around its industry’s norm.
FICO
Software & Services industry group
44.72%
- Max
- 46.89%
- FICO
- 44.72%
- Q3
- 17.64%
- 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 | FICO | PANW |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | -- | 1.74% |
| ROA (TTM) | 40.99% | 1.40% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 32.94% | 2.67% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 44.72% | 5.40% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 86.13% | 70.38% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Fair Isaac (FICO) at 27.33% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Palo Alto Networks (PANW) at 24.50% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for FICO.
EPS Growth
Fair Isaac (FICO) at 36.85% is around its peer norm for EPS growth, while Palo Alto Networks (PANW) at -75.00% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker earnings momentum.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | FICO | PANW |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 27.33% | 24.50% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 18.76% | 18.54% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 36.85% | -75.00% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 28.97% | -14.50% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Both Fair Isaac (FICO) at 0.99 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.
FICO
Software & Services industry group
0.99
- Max
- 5.11
- Q3
- 2.77
- Median
- 1.67
- Q1
- 1.01
- FICO
- 0.99
- 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)
Only one side’s leverage can be read here: Palo Alto Networks (PANW) carries debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09 against its industry range, while Fair Isaac (FICO) reports no figure this period.
FICO
Software & Services industry group
--
- Max
- 2.52
- Q3
- 1.13
- Median
- 0.40
- Q1
- 0.07
- Min
- 0.00
- FICO
- --
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 | FICO | PANW |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.99 | 0.87 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | -- | 0.09 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 3.86 | -0.32 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither Fair Isaac (FICO) nor Palo Alto Networks (PANW) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
FICO
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- FICO
- 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 Fair Isaac (FICO) nor Palo Alto Networks (PANW) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
FICO
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- FICO
- 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 | FICO | PANW |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Fair Isaac (FICO) at 19.40 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.
FICO
Software & Services industry group
19.40
- Max
- 112.94
- Q3
- 60.32
- Median
- 32.91
- FICO
- 19.40
- 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)
Fair Isaac (FICO) at 6.00 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.
FICO
Software & Services industry group
6.00
- Max
- 17.91
- Q3
- 8.78
- FICO
- 6.00
- 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)
Fair Isaac (FICO) reports a negative P/B ratio of -3.90, meaning negative book equity — the multiple itself is not meaningful for valuation. Meanwhile Palo Alto Networks (PANW) reports 9.30, ranking against industry peers normally.
FICO
Software & Services industry group
-3.90
- Max
- 16.63
- Q3
- 8.50
- Median
- 4.30
- Q1
- 1.92
- FICO
- -3.90
- 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 | FICO | PANW |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 19.40 | 784.60 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 6.00 | 22.37 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | -3.90 | 9.30 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 6.54% | 1.65% |