NOW vs. SNOW: ServiceNow vs. Snowflake Stock Comparison
How do ServiceNow (NOW) and Snowflake (SNOW) 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
ServiceNow (NOW) and Snowflake (SNOW) both fall under the Software & Services industry group, but NOW is classified in Software while SNOW is classified in IT Services.
| Profile Item | NOW | SNOW |
|---|---|---|
| Name | ServiceNow Inc. | Snowflake Inc. Common Stock |
| 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 | 105.84 billion USD | 97.33 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | June 29, 2012 | September 16, 2020 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | NOW | SNOW |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | -39.72% | 10.92% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | -5.71% | 23.09% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | -5.55% | -5.00% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | NOW | SNOW |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 64.49% | 67.14% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.98 | 1.33 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -64.54% | -72.99% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 15.74M | 4.67M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | NOW | SNOW |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.68 | 0.10 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -0.89 | 0.17 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Snowflake (SNOW) reports a negative ROE of -48.06%; 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.
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%
SNOW
Software & Services industry group
-48.06%
- Max
- 53.85%
- Q3
- 17.90%
- Median
- 6.59%
- Q1
- -9.59%
- SNOW
- -48.06%
- Min
- -50.52%
Net Margin (TTM)
Snowflake (SNOW) reports a negative net margin of -20.07%, usually indicating a net loss over the period. Meanwhile ServiceNow (NOW) reports 9.36%, ranking against industry peers normally.
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%
SNOW
Software & Services industry group
-20.07%
- Max
- 41.17%
- Q3
- 15.28%
- Median
- 4.63%
- Q1
- -5.42%
- SNOW
- -20.07%
- Min
- -33.17%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Snowflake (SNOW) reports a negative operating margin of -17.00%, usually indicating that operating costs exceeded revenue at the operating-income line. Meanwhile ServiceNow (NOW) reports 17.39%, ranking against industry peers normally.
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%
SNOW
Software & Services industry group
-17.00%
- Max
- 46.89%
- Q3
- 17.64%
- Median
- 8.73%
- Q1
- -2.13%
- SNOW
- -17.00%
- Min
- -30.45%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | NOW | SNOW |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 11.85% | -48.06% |
| ROA (TTM) | 4.59% | -9.02% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 9.36% | -20.07% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 17.39% | -17.00% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 73.08% | 67.03% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Snowflake (SNOW) at 29.16% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while ServiceNow (NOW) at 20.88% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for SNOW.
EPS Growth
Only one side can be read here: ServiceNow (NOW) reports EPS growth of 22.08%, ranked against its industry; Snowflake (SNOW) has no EPS growth figure this period.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | NOW | SNOW |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 20.88% | 29.16% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 22.38% | 31.38% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 22.08% | -- |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 73.46% | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Both ServiceNow (NOW) at 0.72 and Snowflake (SNOW) at 0.94 run current ratio in the tighter-liquidity quartile of industry peers, leaving thinner cushions against current liabilities than typical competitors.
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
SNOW
Software & Services industry group
0.94
- Max
- 5.11
- Q3
- 2.77
- Median
- 1.67
- Q1
- 1.01
- SNOW
- 0.94
- Min
- 0.03
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
ServiceNow (NOW) at 0.64 carries an industry-typical debt-to-equity mix, while Snowflake (SNOW) at 1.29 uses more debt funding than most peers.
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
SNOW
Software & Services industry group
1.29
- Max
- 2.52
- SNOW
- 1.29
- Q3
- 1.13
- Median
- 0.40
- Q1
- 0.07
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | NOW | SNOW |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.72 | 0.94 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.64 | 1.29 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 1.18 | -- |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither ServiceNow (NOW) nor Snowflake (SNOW) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
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%
SNOW
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- SNOW
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Neither ServiceNow (NOW) nor Snowflake (SNOW) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
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%
SNOW
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- SNOW
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | NOW | SNOW |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Snowflake (SNOW) has no P/E ratio this period.
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
SNOW
Software & Services industry group
--
- Max
- 112.94
- Q3
- 60.32
- Median
- 32.91
- Q1
- 18.77
- Min
- 6.69
- SNOW
- --
P/S Ratio (TTM)
ServiceNow (NOW) at 6.86 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Snowflake (SNOW) at 17.91 sits in the pricier quartile — SNOW costs more per dollar of sales.
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
SNOW
Software & Services industry group
17.91
- SNOW
- 17.91
- Max
- 17.91
- Q3
- 8.78
- 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 Snowflake (SNOW) at 45.23 prices above its benchmark range — SNOW looks rich relative to book.
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
SNOW
Software & Services industry group
45.23
- SNOW
- 45.23
- Max
- 16.63
- Q3
- 8.50
- Median
- 4.30
- Q1
- 1.92
- Min
- -3.90
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | NOW | SNOW |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 73.36 | -- |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 6.86 | 17.91 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 8.08 | 45.23 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 5.44% | 1.79% |