GEN vs. VRSN: Gen Digital vs. VeriSign Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do Gen Digital (GEN) 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

Gen Digital (GEN) and VeriSign (VRSN) both fall under the Software & Services industry group, but GEN is classified in Software while VRSN is classified in IT Services.

Company profile comparison for Gen Digital (GEN) and VeriSign (VRSN)
Profile Item	GEN	VRSN
Name	Gen Digital Inc.	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	Systems Software	Internet Services & Infrastructure
Market Capitalization	17.67 billion USD	27.69 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	Nasdaq	Nasdaq
Listing Date	June 23, 1989	January 30, 1998
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

GEN

VRSN

GSPC

Gen Digital (GEN) vs. VeriSign (VRSN), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Gen Digital (GEN) and VeriSign (VRSN). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Gen Digital (GEN) and VeriSign (VRSN). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Gen Digital (GEN) and VeriSign (VRSN)
Metric	GEN	VRSN
Total Return (1Y)	18.20%	28.37%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	18.57%	15.25%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	5.70%	5.98%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

GEN

VRSN

GSPC

Gen Digital (GEN) vs. VeriSign (VRSN), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Gen Digital (GEN) and VeriSign (VRSN). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Gen Digital (GEN) and VeriSign (VRSN)
Metric	GEN	VRSN
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	43.30%	28.25%
Beta (5Y)	1.23	0.67
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-48.41%	-38.85%
Avg. Volume (3M)	8.39M	869.64K

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

GEN and VRSN are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Gen Digital (GEN) and VeriSign (VRSN)
Metric	GEN	VRSN
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	0.32	0.85
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	0.50	1.24

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Capital efficiency shows on one side only: Gen Digital (GEN) earns 46.40% on shareholders’ equity, ranked against its industry; VeriSign (VRSN) has no ROE this period.

GEN

Software & Services industry group

46.40%

Max: 53.85%
GEN: 46.40%
Q3: 17.90%
Median: 6.59%
Q1: -9.59%
Min: -50.52%

VRSN

Software & Services industry group

Max: 53.85%
Q3: 17.90%
Median: 6.59%
Q1: -9.59%
Min: -50.52%
VRSN: --

Gen Digital (GEN) vs. VeriSign (VRSN): VRSN does not report ROE, so it has no value marker; GEN is benchmarked against the Software & Services industry group.

Net Margin (TTM)

VeriSign (VRSN) at 49.07% keeps the most of each sales dollar — above its industry’s net margin range — and Gen Digital (GEN) at 23.07% also retains a top-quartile share.

GEN

Software & Services industry group

23.07%

Max: 41.17%
GEN: 23.07%
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%

Gen Digital (GEN) vs. VeriSign (VRSN): A comparison of their net margin against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

VeriSign (VRSN) at 68.62% shows unusually strong operating efficiency — above its industry’s operating margin range — and Gen Digital (GEN) at 37.40% also operates in the top quartile.

GEN

Software & Services industry group

37.40%

Max: 46.89%
GEN: 37.40%
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%

Gen Digital (GEN) vs. VeriSign (VRSN): A comparison of their operating margin against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Gen Digital (GEN) and VeriSign (VRSN)
Metric	GEN	VRSN
ROE (TTM)	46.40%	--
ROA (TTM)	8.94%	54.90%
Net Margin (TTM)	23.07%	49.07%
Operating Margin (TTM)	37.40%	68.62%
Gross Margin (TTM)	77.41%	88.57%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Gen Digital (GEN) at 27.06% 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.

Gen Digital (GEN) vs. VeriSign (VRSN): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Gen Digital (GEN) at 52.43% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while VeriSign (VRSN) at 10.13% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for GEN.

Gen Digital (GEN) vs. VeriSign (VRSN): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Gen Digital (GEN) and VeriSign (VRSN)
Metric	GEN	VRSN
Revenue Growth (YoY)	27.06%	6.37%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	14.66%	5.15%
EPS Growth (YoY)	52.43%	10.13%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	-10.09%	12.18%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Both Gen Digital (GEN) at 0.37 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.

GEN

Software & Services industry group

0.37

Max: 5.11
Q3: 2.77
Median: 1.67
Q1: 1.01
GEN: 0.37
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

Gen Digital (GEN) vs. VeriSign (VRSN): A comparison of their current ratio against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Only one side’s leverage can be read here: Gen Digital (GEN) carries debt-to-equity ratio of 2.96 against its industry range, while VeriSign (VRSN) reports no figure this period.

GEN

Software & Services industry group

2.96

GEN: 2.96
Max: 2.52
Q3: 1.13
Median: 0.40
Q1: 0.07
Min: 0.00

VRSN

Software & Services industry group

Max: 2.52
Q3: 1.13
Median: 0.40
Q1: 0.07
Min: 0.00
VRSN: --

Gen Digital (GEN) vs. VeriSign (VRSN): VRSN does not report debt-to-equity ratio, so it has no value marker; GEN is benchmarked against the Software & Services industry group.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Gen Digital (GEN) and VeriSign (VRSN)
Metric	GEN	VRSN
Current Ratio (MRQ)	0.37	0.42
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	2.96	--
Net Debt / EBITDA	3.02	1.09

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Both Gen Digital (GEN) at 1.63% and VeriSign (VRSN) at 1.03% yield above their industries’ entire benchmark ranges — high enough that dividend safety, not income, becomes the first question.

GEN

Software & Services industry group

1.63%

GEN: 1.63%
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%

Gen Digital (GEN) vs. VeriSign (VRSN): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Both Gen Digital (GEN) at 25.38% and VeriSign (VRSN) at 34.45% pay out more of their earnings than any of their industry peers — the thinnest cover in their groups, so dividend headroom deserves attention.

GEN

Software & Services industry group

25.38%

GEN: 25.38%
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%

Gen Digital (GEN) vs. VeriSign (VRSN): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Gen Digital (GEN) and VeriSign (VRSN)
Metric	GEN	VRSN
Dividend Yield (TTM)	1.63%	1.03%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	25.38%	34.45%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Gen Digital (GEN) at 15.12 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while VeriSign (VRSN) at 33.23 is closer to its industry’s usual earnings multiple — a discount for GEN, though growth and earnings durability still matter.

GEN

Software & Services industry group

15.12

Max: 112.94
Q3: 60.32
Median: 32.91
Q1: 18.77
GEN: 15.12
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

Gen Digital (GEN) vs. VeriSign (VRSN): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Gen Digital (GEN) at 3.38 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.

GEN

Software & Services industry group

3.38

Max: 17.91
Q3: 8.78
Median: 4.25
GEN: 3.38
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

Gen Digital (GEN) vs. VeriSign (VRSN): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

VeriSign (VRSN) reports a negative P/B ratio of -12.13, meaning negative book equity — the multiple itself is not meaningful for valuation. Meanwhile Gen Digital (GEN) reports 6.45, ranking against industry peers normally.

GEN

Software & Services industry group

6.45

Max: 16.63
Q3: 8.50
GEN: 6.45
Median: 4.30
Q1: 1.92
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

Gen Digital (GEN) vs. VeriSign (VRSN): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Gen Digital (GEN) and VeriSign (VRSN)
Metric	GEN	VRSN
P/E Ratio (TTM)	15.12	33.23
P/S Ratio (TTM)	3.38	15.99
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	6.45	-12.13
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	10.25%	2.89%