FTV vs. NOW: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated on August 22, 2025

Here’s a clear look at FTV and NOW, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Profile

Symbol	FTV	NOW
Company Name	Fortive Corporation	ServiceNow, Inc.
Country	United States	United States
GICS Sector	Industrials	Information Technology
GICS Industry	Machinery	Software
Market Capitalization	16.49 billion USD	179.15 billion USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	July 5, 2016	June 29, 2012
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of FTV and NOW 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.

FTV vs. NOW: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Historical Performance at a Glance

Symbol	FTV	NOW
5-Day Price Return	2.70%	-1.24%
13-Week Price Return	-33.92%	-15.00%
26-Week Price Return	-38.97%	-15.64%
52-Week Price Return	-28.68%	7.03%
Month-to-Date Return	1.67%	-8.46%
Year-to-Date Return	-35.03%	-18.57%
10-Day Avg. Volume	5.20M	2.01M
3-Month Avg. Volume	3.85M	1.63M
3-Month Volatility	55.22%	27.13%
Beta	1.09	0.93

Profitability

Return on Equity (TTM)

FTV

7.44%

Machinery Industry

Max: 34.68%
Q3: 19.06%
Median: 13.13%
Q1: 8.53%
Min: -4.87%

FTV’s Return on Equity of 7.44% is in the lower quartile for the Machinery industry. This indicates a less efficient generation of profit from its equity base when compared to its competitors.

NOW

16.62%

Software Industry

Max: 59.01%
Q3: 21.98%
Median: 7.15%
Q1: -11.12%
Min: -51.24%

NOW’s Return on Equity of 16.62% is on par with the norm for the Software industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.

FTV vs. NOW: A comparison of their Return on Equity (TTM) against their respective Machinery and Software industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin (TTM)

FTV

12.51%

Machinery Industry

Max: 19.74%
Q3: 11.24%
Median: 8.13%
Q1: 5.38%
Min: -1.11%

A Net Profit Margin of 12.51% places FTV in the upper quartile for the Machinery industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.

NOW

13.78%

Software Industry

Max: 48.14%
Q3: 18.23%
Median: 5.60%
Q1: -9.22%
Min: -49.36%

NOW’s Net Profit Margin of 13.78% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Software industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.

FTV vs. NOW: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Machinery and Software industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin (TTM)

FTV

17.22%

Machinery Industry

Max: 26.63%
Q3: 16.15%
Median: 11.27%
Q1: 7.72%
Min: -4.91%

An Operating Profit Margin of 17.22% places FTV in the upper quartile for the Machinery industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.

NOW

13.28%

Software Industry

Max: 57.34%
Q3: 20.60%
Median: 7.84%
Q1: -8.72%
Min: -51.37%

NOW’s Operating Profit Margin of 13.28% is around the midpoint for the Software industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.

FTV vs. NOW: A comparison of their Operating Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Machinery and Software industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	FTV	NOW
Return on Equity (TTM)	7.44%	16.62%
Return on Assets (TTM)	4.40%	8.12%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	12.51%	13.78%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	17.22%	13.28%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	59.78%	78.52%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

FTV

0.98

Machinery Industry

Max: 3.83
Q3: 2.32
Median: 1.72
Q1: 1.28
Min: 0.78

FTV’s Current Ratio of 0.98 falls into the lower quartile for the Machinery industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.

NOW

1.09

Software Industry

Max: 3.83
Q3: 2.31
Median: 1.45
Q1: 1.03
Min: 0.24

NOW’s Current Ratio of 1.09 aligns with the median group of the Software industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.

FTV vs. NOW: A comparison of their Current Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Machinery and Software industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)

FTV

0.46

Machinery Industry

Max: 1.49
Q3: 0.75
Median: 0.44
Q1: 0.26
Min: 0.00

FTV’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.46 is typical for the Machinery industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.

NOW

0.14

Software Industry

Max: 2.14
Q3: 0.90
Median: 0.29
Q1: 0.00
Min: 0.00

NOW’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.14 is typical for the Software industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.

FTV vs. NOW: A comparison of their Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Machinery and Software industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)

FTV

6.04

Machinery Industry

Max: 67.55
Q3: 33.79
Median: 13.87
Q1: 7.97
Min: -1.43

In the lower quartile for the Machinery industry, FTV’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 6.04 indicates a tighter cushion for servicing debt, suggesting less financial flexibility than many of its competitors.

NOW

32.13

Software Industry

Max: 67.02
Q3: 19.86
Median: 0.70
Q1: -12.50
Min: -53.00

NOW’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 32.13 is in the upper quartile for the Software industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.

FTV vs. NOW: A comparison of their Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) against their respective Machinery and Software industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	FTV	NOW
Current Ratio (MRQ)	0.98	1.09
Quick Ratio (MRQ)	0.77	0.99
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)	0.46	0.14
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	6.04	32.13

Growth

Revenue Growth

FTV vs. NOW: A side-by-side comparison of their Revenue Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

EPS Growth

FTV vs. NOW: A side-by-side comparison of their EPS Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

Dividend

Dividend Yield (TTM)

FTV

0.67%

Machinery Industry

Max: 5.32%
Q3: 2.84%
Median: 1.87%
Q1: 1.09%
Min: 0.00%

FTV’s Dividend Yield of 0.67% is in the lower quartile for the Machinery industry. This suggests the company’s strategy likely favors retaining earnings for growth over providing a high dividend income.

NOW

0.00%

Software Industry

Max: 0.08%
Q3: 0.03%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

NOW 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.

FTV vs. NOW: A comparison of their Dividend Yield (TTM) against their respective Machinery and Software industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

FTV

14.22%

Machinery Industry

Max: 202.17%
Q3: 98.65%
Median: 55.54%
Q1: 29.03%
Min: 0.00%

FTV’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 14.22% is in the lower quartile for the Machinery industry. This suggests a conservative dividend policy, with a strategic focus on reinvesting profits for future growth.

NOW

0.00%

Software Industry

Max: 1.32%
Q3: 0.53%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

NOW 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.

FTV vs. NOW: A comparison of their Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) against their respective Machinery and Software industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	FTV	NOW
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.67%	0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	14.22%	0.00%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)

FTV

21.32

Machinery Industry

Max: 53.66
Q3: 31.29
Median: 22.00
Q1: 16.18
Min: 7.00

FTV’s P/E Ratio of 21.32 is within the middle range for the Machinery industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.

NOW

106.87

Software Industry

Max: 149.35
Q3: 100.21
Median: 47.97
Q1: 26.77
Min: 11.68

A P/E Ratio of 106.87 places NOW in the upper quartile for the Software industry. This high valuation relative to peers suggests the market holds elevated expectations for the company’s future growth.

FTV vs. NOW: A comparison of their Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) against their respective Machinery and Software industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)

FTV

2.67

Machinery Industry

Max: 5.04
Q3: 2.72
Median: 1.67
Q1: 1.04
Min: 0.24

FTV’s P/S Ratio of 2.67 aligns with the market consensus for the Machinery industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.

NOW

14.72

Software Industry

Max: 25.24
Q3: 13.52
Median: 8.15
Q1: 4.87
Min: 0.98

NOW’s P/S Ratio of 14.72 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.

FTV vs. NOW: A comparison of their Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) against their respective Machinery and Software industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)

FTV

2.34

Machinery Industry

Max: 7.23
Q3: 3.90
Median: 2.52
Q1: 1.47
Min: 0.49

FTV’s P/B Ratio of 2.34 is within the conventional range for the Machinery industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.

NOW

19.48

Software Industry

Max: 30.95
Q3: 14.91
Median: 7.75
Q1: 3.60
Min: 0.38

NOW’s P/B Ratio of 19.48 is in the upper tier for the Software industry. This indicates that investors are paying a premium relative to the company’s net assets, a valuation that hinges on its ability to generate superior profits.

FTV vs. NOW: A comparison of their Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Machinery and Software industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	FTV	NOW
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)	21.32	106.87
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)	2.67	14.72
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)	2.34	19.48
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM)	11.83	46.65