FICO vs. VRSN: Fair Isaac vs. VeriSign Stock Comparison
How do Fair Isaac (FICO) 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
Fair Isaac (FICO) and VeriSign (VRSN) both fall under the Software & Services industry group, but FICO is classified in Software while VRSN is classified in IT Services.
| Profile Item | FICO | VRSN |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Fair Isaac Corp. | 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 | 15.22 billion USD | 27.69 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | July 22, 1987 | January 30, 1998 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | FICO | VRSN |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | -58.54% | 28.37% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | -9.17% | 15.25% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 12.31% | 5.98% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
Fair Isaac (FICO) has an aggressive beta of 1.33, indicating higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, while VeriSign (VRSN) is defensive at 0.67 and tends to be less market-sensitive — they sit on opposite ends of the beta spectrum.
| Metric | FICO | VRSN |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 63.29% | 28.25% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.33 | 0.67 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -75.13% | -38.85% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 759.34K | 869.64K |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | FICO | VRSN |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.99 | 0.85 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -1.20 | 1.24 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Neither Fair Isaac (FICO) nor VeriSign (VRSN) reports a ROE value for this period, so a direct comparison isn’t possible.
FICO
Software & Services industry group
--
- Max
- 53.85%
- Q3
- 17.90%
- Median
- 6.59%
- Q1
- -9.59%
- Min
- -50.52%
- FICO
- --
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% keeps the most of each sales dollar — above its industry’s net margin range — and Fair Isaac (FICO) at 32.94% also retains a top-quartile 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%
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% shows unusually strong operating efficiency — above its industry’s operating margin range — and Fair Isaac (FICO) at 44.72% also operates in the top quartile.
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%
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 | FICO | VRSN |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | -- | -- |
| ROA (TTM) | 40.99% | 54.90% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 32.94% | 49.07% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 44.72% | 68.62% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 86.13% | 88.57% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Fair Isaac (FICO) at 27.33% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while VeriSign (VRSN) at 6.37% is in the bottom quartile, showing a clear gap in revenue momentum.
EPS Growth
Both Fair Isaac (FICO) at 36.85% and VeriSign (VRSN) at 10.13% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | FICO | VRSN |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 27.33% | 6.37% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 18.76% | 5.15% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 36.85% | 10.13% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 28.97% | 12.18% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Both Fair Isaac (FICO) at 0.99 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.
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
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)
Neither Fair Isaac (FICO) nor VeriSign (VRSN) reports a debt-to-equity ratio value for this period, so a direct comparison isn’t possible.
FICO
Software & Services industry group
--
- Max
- 2.52
- Q3
- 1.13
- Median
- 0.40
- Q1
- 0.07
- Min
- 0.00
- FICO
- --
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 | FICO | VRSN |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.99 | 0.42 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 3.86 | 1.09 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Fair Isaac (FICO) 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.
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%
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)
Fair Isaac (FICO) 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.
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%
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 | FICO | VRSN |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 1.03% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 34.45% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both Fair Isaac (FICO) at 19.40 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.
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
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)
Fair Isaac (FICO) at 6.00 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.
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
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)
Both Fair Isaac (FICO) at -3.90 and VeriSign (VRSN) at -12.13 report negative P/B ratio values, meaning both companies have negative book equity — neither multiple is meaningful for valuation.
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
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 | FICO | VRSN |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 19.40 | 33.23 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 6.00 | 15.99 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | -3.90 | -12.13 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 6.54% | 2.89% |