MSTR vs. VRSN: Strategy vs. VeriSign Stock Comparison
How do Strategy (MSTR) 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
Strategy (MSTR) and VeriSign (VRSN) both fall under the Software & Services industry group, but MSTR is classified in Software while VRSN is classified in IT Services.
| Profile Item | MSTR | VRSN |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Strategy 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 | Application Software | Internet Services & Infrastructure |
| Market Capitalization | 54.57 billion USD | 27.69 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | June 11, 1998 | January 30, 1998 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | MSTR | VRSN |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | -48.13% | 28.37% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 36.44% | 15.25% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 7.87% | 5.98% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
Strategy (MSTR) has a highly aggressive beta of 3.60, indicating much higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, while VeriSign (VRSN) is defensive at 0.67 and tends to be less market-sensitive — a wide gap in beta profiles.
Strategy (MSTR) is heavily traded at around 22.35M shares per day, whereas VeriSign (VRSN) sees a more moderate 869.64K — larger orders in the latter may require more patience and tighter control over order sizing.
| Metric | MSTR | VRSN |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 82.34% | 28.25% |
| Beta (5Y) | 3.60 | 0.67 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -84.09% | -38.85% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 22.35M | 869.64K |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | MSTR | VRSN |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.64 | 0.85 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -0.97 | 1.24 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
VeriSign (VRSN) has no ROE value reported for this period; Strategy (MSTR) reports a negative figure of -21.59%, which needs context because negative ROE can reflect losses or negative shareholders’ equity.
MSTR
Software & Services industry group
-21.59%
- Max
- 53.85%
- Q3
- 17.90%
- Median
- 6.59%
- Q1
- -9.59%
- MSTR
- -21.59%
- Min
- -50.52%
VRSN
Software & Services industry group
--
- Max
- 53.85%
- Q3
- 17.90%
- Median
- 6.59%
- Q1
- -9.59%
- Min
- -50.52%
- VRSN
- --
Net Margin (TTM)
VeriSign (VRSN) at 49.07% converts revenue to bottom-line profit above its industry’s benchmark range, while Strategy (MSTR) at 0.00% keeps roughly the typical share for its industry.
MSTR
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 41.17%
- Q3
- 15.28%
- Median
- 4.63%
- MSTR
- 0.00%
- 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)
Strategy (MSTR) reports a negative operating margin of -2.07%, usually indicating that operating costs exceeded revenue at the operating-income line. Meanwhile VeriSign (VRSN) reports 68.62%, ranking against industry peers normally.
MSTR
Software & Services industry group
-2.07%
- Max
- 46.89%
- Q3
- 17.64%
- Median
- 8.73%
- MSTR
- -2.07%
- 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 | MSTR | VRSN |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | -21.59% | -- |
| ROA (TTM) | -4.52% | 54.90% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 0.00% | 49.07% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | -2.07% | 68.62% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 67.84% | 88.57% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both Strategy (MSTR) at 2.97% and VeriSign (VRSN) at 6.37% post bottom-quartile revenue growth versus peers, pointing to weaker demand or pricing momentum than typical rivals.
EPS Growth
Only one side can be read here: VeriSign (VRSN) reports EPS growth of 10.13%, ranked against its industry; Strategy (MSTR) has no EPS growth figure this period.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | MSTR | VRSN |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 2.97% | 6.37% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | -1.49% | 5.15% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -- | 10.13% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | 12.18% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Strategy (MSTR) at 4.04 carries current ratio above its industry’s typical mid-range, while VeriSign (VRSN) at 0.42 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — different working-capital profiles, both worth examining.
MSTR
Software & Services industry group
4.04
- Max
- 5.11
- MSTR
- 4.04
- Q3
- 2.77
- Median
- 1.67
- Q1
- 1.01
- 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)
Only one side’s leverage can be read here: Strategy (MSTR) carries debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10 against its industry range, while VeriSign (VRSN) reports no figure this period.
MSTR
Software & Services industry group
0.10
- Max
- 2.52
- Q3
- 1.13
- Median
- 0.40
- MSTR
- 0.10
- 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
- --
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | MSTR | VRSN |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 4.04 | 0.42 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.10 | -- |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -- | 1.09 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Strategy (MSTR) 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.
MSTR
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- MSTR
- 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)
Strategy (MSTR) 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.
MSTR
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- MSTR
- 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 | MSTR | VRSN |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 1.03% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 34.45% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
An earnings multiple is available for just one side: VeriSign (VRSN) trades at 33.23 times trailing earnings, ranked against its peers, while Strategy (MSTR) has no P/E ratio this period.
MSTR
Software & Services industry group
--
- Max
- 112.94
- Q3
- 60.32
- Median
- 32.91
- Q1
- 18.77
- Min
- 6.69
- MSTR
- --
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)
Both look expensive on sales: VeriSign (VRSN) at 15.99 sits in the upper P/S ratio quartile, and Strategy (MSTR) at 110.23 prices even higher, above its industry range.
MSTR
Software & Services industry group
110.23
- MSTR
- 110.23
- Max
- 17.91
- Q3
- 8.78
- 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)
VeriSign (VRSN) reports a negative P/B ratio of -12.13, meaning negative book equity — the multiple itself is not meaningful for valuation. Meanwhile Strategy (MSTR) reports 0.98, ranking against industry peers normally.
MSTR
Software & Services industry group
0.98
- Max
- 16.63
- Q3
- 8.50
- Median
- 4.30
- Q1
- 1.92
- MSTR
- 0.98
- 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 | MSTR | VRSN |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | -- | 33.23 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 110.23 | 15.99 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 0.98 | -12.13 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -5.94% | 2.89% |