NET vs. NOW: Cloudflare vs. ServiceNow Stock Comparison
How do Cloudflare (NET) and ServiceNow (NOW) 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
Cloudflare (NET) and ServiceNow (NOW) both fall under the Software & Services industry group, but NET is classified in IT Services while NOW is classified in Software.
| Profile Item | NET | NOW |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Cloudflare, Inc. Class A Common Stock | ServiceNow Inc. |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Information Technology | Information Technology |
| GICS Industry Group | Software & Services | Software & Services |
| GICS Industry | IT Services | Software |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Internet Services & Infrastructure | Systems Software |
| Market Capitalization | 96.32 billion USD | 105.84 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | September 13, 2019 | June 29, 2012 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | NET | NOW |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 27.13% | -39.72% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 68.21% | -5.71% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 7.66% | -5.55% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | NET | NOW |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 67.16% | 64.49% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.34 | 0.98 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -82.58% | -64.54% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 3.45M | 15.74M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | NET | NOW |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.34 | -0.68 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.48 | -0.89 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Cloudflare (NET) reports a negative ROE of -17.00%; negative ROE can reflect losses or negative shareholders’ equity, so it is harder to read as capital efficiency. Meanwhile ServiceNow (NOW) reports 11.85%, ranking against industry peers normally.
NET
Software & Services industry group
-17.00%
- Max
- 53.85%
- Q3
- 17.90%
- Median
- 6.59%
- Q1
- -9.59%
- NET
- -17.00%
- Min
- -50.52%
NOW
Software & Services industry group
11.85%
- Max
- 53.85%
- Q3
- 17.90%
- NOW
- 11.85%
- Median
- 6.59%
- Q1
- -9.59%
- Min
- -50.52%
Net Margin (TTM)
Cloudflare (NET) reports a negative net margin of -8.75%, usually indicating a net loss over the period. Meanwhile ServiceNow (NOW) reports 9.36%, ranking against industry peers normally.
NET
Software & Services industry group
-8.75%
- Max
- 41.17%
- Q3
- 15.28%
- Median
- 4.63%
- Q1
- -5.42%
- NET
- -8.75%
- Min
- -33.17%
NOW
Software & Services industry group
9.36%
- Max
- 41.17%
- Q3
- 15.28%
- NOW
- 9.36%
- Median
- 4.63%
- Q1
- -5.42%
- Min
- -33.17%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Cloudflare (NET) reports a negative operating margin of -7.27%, usually indicating that operating costs exceeded revenue at the operating-income line. Meanwhile ServiceNow (NOW) reports 17.39%, ranking against industry peers normally.
NET
Software & Services industry group
-7.27%
- Max
- 46.89%
- Q3
- 17.64%
- Median
- 8.73%
- Q1
- -2.13%
- NET
- -7.27%
- Min
- -30.45%
NOW
Software & Services industry group
17.39%
- Max
- 46.89%
- Q3
- 17.64%
- NOW
- 17.39%
- Median
- 8.73%
- Q1
- -2.13%
- Min
- -30.45%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | NET | NOW |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | -17.00% | 11.85% |
| ROA (TTM) | -2.00% | 4.59% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | -8.75% | 9.36% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | -7.27% | 17.39% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 71.90% | 73.08% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Cloudflare (NET) at 29.85% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while ServiceNow (NOW) at 20.88% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for NET.
EPS Growth
Only one side can be read here: ServiceNow (NOW) reports EPS growth of 22.08%, ranked against its industry; Cloudflare (NET) has no EPS growth figure this period.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | NET | NOW |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 29.85% | 20.88% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 30.51% | 22.38% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -- | 22.08% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | 73.46% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Cloudflare (NET) at 3.80 carries current ratio above its industry’s typical mid-range, while ServiceNow (NOW) at 0.72 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — different working-capital profiles, both worth examining.
NET
Software & Services industry group
3.80
- Max
- 5.11
- NET
- 3.80
- Q3
- 2.77
- Median
- 1.67
- Q1
- 1.01
- Min
- 0.03
NOW
Software & Services industry group
0.72
- Max
- 5.11
- Q3
- 2.77
- Median
- 1.67
- Q1
- 1.01
- NOW
- 0.72
- Min
- 0.03
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
ServiceNow (NOW) at 0.64 is near its industry mid-range for debt-to-equity ratio, while Cloudflare (NET) at 3.21 sits above its benchmark range, pointing to a heavier debt load relative to equity.
NET
Software & Services industry group
3.21
- NET
- 3.21
- Max
- 2.52
- Q3
- 1.13
- Median
- 0.40
- Q1
- 0.07
- Min
- 0.00
NOW
Software & Services industry group
0.64
- Max
- 2.52
- Q3
- 1.13
- NOW
- 0.64
- Median
- 0.40
- Q1
- 0.07
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | NET | NOW |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 3.80 | 0.72 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 3.21 | 0.64 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -- | 1.18 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither Cloudflare (NET) nor ServiceNow (NOW) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
NET
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- NET
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
NOW
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- NOW
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Neither Cloudflare (NET) nor ServiceNow (NOW) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
NET
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- NET
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
NOW
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- NOW
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | NET | NOW |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
An earnings multiple is available for just one side: ServiceNow (NOW) trades at 73.36 times trailing earnings, ranked against its peers, while Cloudflare (NET) has no P/E ratio this period.
NET
Software & Services industry group
--
- Max
- 112.94
- Q3
- 60.32
- Median
- 32.91
- Q1
- 18.77
- Min
- 6.69
- NET
- --
NOW
Software & Services industry group
73.36
- Max
- 112.94
- NOW
- 73.36
- Q3
- 60.32
- Median
- 32.91
- Q1
- 18.77
- Min
- 6.69
P/S Ratio (TTM)
ServiceNow (NOW) at 6.86 prices around its industry’s typical P/S ratio, while Cloudflare (NET) at 35.24 clears its benchmark range — NET looks notably rich on sales.
NET
Software & Services industry group
35.24
- NET
- 35.24
- Max
- 17.91
- Q3
- 8.78
- Median
- 4.25
- Q1
- 2.23
- Min
- 0.02
NOW
Software & Services industry group
6.86
- Max
- 17.91
- Q3
- 8.78
- NOW
- 6.86
- Median
- 4.25
- Q1
- 2.23
- Min
- 0.02
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
ServiceNow (NOW) at 8.08 sits near its industry’s typical P/B ratio, while Cloudflare (NET) at 65.73 prices above its benchmark range — NET looks rich relative to book.
NET
Software & Services industry group
65.73
- NET
- 65.73
- Max
- 16.63
- Q3
- 8.50
- Median
- 4.30
- Q1
- 1.92
- Min
- -3.90
NOW
Software & Services industry group
8.08
- Max
- 16.63
- Q3
- 8.50
- NOW
- 8.08
- Median
- 4.30
- Q1
- 1.92
- Min
- -3.90
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | NET | NOW |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | -- | 73.36 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 35.24 | 6.86 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 65.73 | 8.08 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 0.83% | 5.44% |