GEN vs. ZM: Gen Digital vs. Zoom Communications Stock Comparison
How do Gen Digital (GEN) and Zoom Communications (ZM) 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 Zoom Communications (ZM) both belong to the Software industry, though GEN is classified under Systems Software while ZM falls under Application Software.
| Profile Item | GEN | ZM |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Gen Digital Inc. | Zoom Communications, Inc. Class A Common Stock |
| 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 | Systems Software | Application Software |
| Market Capitalization | 17.67 billion USD | 26.23 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | June 23, 1989 | April 18, 2019 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | GEN | ZM |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 18.20% | 12.58% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 18.57% | 14.89% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 5.70% | -18.67% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | GEN | ZM |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 43.30% | 45.03% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.23 | 0.99 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -48.41% | -79.08% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 8.39M | 2.88M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | GEN | ZM |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.32 | 0.18 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.50 | 0.28 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both Gen Digital (GEN) at 46.40% and Zoom Communications (ZM) at 32.14% sit in the top peer quartile for ROE, suggesting each generates more profit from shareholders’ equity than typical industry peers.
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%
ZM
Software & Services industry group
32.14%
- Max
- 53.85%
- ZM
- 32.14%
- Q3
- 17.90%
- Median
- 6.59%
- Q1
- -9.59%
- Min
- -50.52%
Net Margin (TTM)
Zoom Communications (ZM) at 65.19% 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%
ZM
Software & Services industry group
65.19%
- ZM
- 65.19%
- Max
- 41.17%
- Q3
- 15.28%
- Median
- 4.63%
- Q1
- -5.42%
- Min
- -33.17%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Gen Digital (GEN) at 37.40% and Zoom Communications (ZM) at 24.61% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.
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%
ZM
Software & Services industry group
24.61%
- Max
- 46.89%
- ZM
- 24.61%
- Q3
- 17.64%
- Median
- 8.73%
- Q1
- -2.13%
- Min
- -30.45%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | GEN | ZM |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 46.40% | 32.14% |
| ROA (TTM) | 8.94% | 6.11% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 23.07% | 65.19% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 37.40% | 24.61% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 77.41% | 77.66% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Gen Digital (GEN) at 27.06% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Zoom Communications (ZM) at 4.36% is in the bottom quartile, showing a clear gap in revenue momentum.
EPS Growth
Both Gen Digital (GEN) at 52.43% and Zoom Communications (ZM) at 92.52% sit in the top peer quartile for EPS growth, so each is compounding per-share earnings faster than typical industry peers.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | GEN | ZM |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 27.06% | 4.36% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 14.66% | 3.49% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 52.43% | 92.52% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -10.09% | 162.93% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Zoom Communications (ZM) at 3.83 carries current ratio above its industry’s typical mid-range, while Gen Digital (GEN) at 0.37 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — different working-capital profiles, both worth examining.
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
ZM
Software & Services industry group
3.83
- Max
- 5.11
- ZM
- 3.83
- Q3
- 2.77
- Median
- 1.67
- Q1
- 1.01
- Min
- 0.03
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Zoom Communications (ZM) at 0.01 keeps leverage in the lower quartile, while Gen Digital (GEN) at 2.96 is above its industry debt-to-equity ratio range.
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
ZM
Software & Services industry group
0.01
- Max
- 2.52
- Q3
- 1.13
- Median
- 0.40
- Q1
- 0.07
- ZM
- 0.01
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | GEN | ZM |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.37 | 3.83 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 2.96 | 0.01 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 3.02 | -5.39 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Zoom Communications (ZM) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Gen Digital (GEN) reports a yield of 1.63%, ranking against industry peers normally.
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%
ZM
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- ZM
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Zoom Communications (ZM) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Gen Digital (GEN) reports a payout of 25.38%, ranking against industry peers normally.
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%
ZM
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- ZM
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | GEN | ZM |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.63% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 25.38% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both Gen Digital (GEN) at 15.12 and Zoom Communications (ZM) at 8.34 sit in the cheaper earnings-multiple quartile for P/E ratio, with the market paying less for a dollar of trailing earnings than it pays for typical peers.
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
ZM
Software & Services industry group
8.34
- Max
- 112.94
- Q3
- 60.32
- Median
- 32.91
- Q1
- 18.77
- ZM
- 8.34
- Min
- 6.69
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both Gen Digital (GEN) at 3.38 and Zoom Communications (ZM) at 5.25 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.
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
ZM
Software & Services industry group
5.25
- Max
- 17.91
- Q3
- 8.78
- ZM
- 5.25
- Median
- 4.25
- Q1
- 2.23
- Min
- 0.02
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
On P/B ratio, both Gen Digital (GEN) at 6.45 and Zoom Communications (ZM) at 2.32 are valued close to their industries’ norm against book — neither stands out from peers.
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
ZM
Software & Services industry group
2.32
- Max
- 16.63
- Q3
- 8.50
- Median
- 4.30
- ZM
- 2.32
- Q1
- 1.92
- Min
- -3.90
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | GEN | ZM |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 15.12 | 8.34 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 3.38 | 5.25 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 6.45 | 2.32 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 10.25% | 7.53% |