NTES vs. VRSN: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated on August 27, 2025

Here’s a clear look at NTES and VRSN, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Profile

NTES trades as an American Depositary Receipt (ADR), offering U.S. investors a convenient way to access its foreign-listed shares. In contrast, VRSN is a standard domestic listing.

Symbol	NTES	VRSN
Company Name	NetEase, Inc.	VeriSign, Inc.
Country	China	United States
GICS Sector	Communication Services	Information Technology
GICS Industry	Entertainment	IT Services
Market Capitalization	88.15 billion USD	24.88 billion USD
Exchange	NasdaqGS	NasdaqGS
Listing Date	June 30, 2000	January 30, 1998
Security Type	ADR	Common Stock

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of NTES and VRSN by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period. Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.

NTES vs. VRSN: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Historical Performance at a Glance

Symbol	NTES	VRSN
5-Day Price Return	5.67%	-1.05%
13-Week Price Return	13.93%	-5.49%
26-Week Price Return	30.17%	14.96%
52-Week Price Return	64.86%	47.94%
Month-to-Date Return	4.07%	-0.92%
Year-to-Date Return	52.00%	28.72%
10-Day Avg. Volume	1.08M	0.80M
3-Month Avg. Volume	1.00M	0.89M
3-Month Volatility	25.26%	29.64%
Beta	0.66	0.78

Profitability

Return on Equity (TTM)

NTES

24.25%

Entertainment Industry

Max: 42.50%
Q3: 22.75%
Median: 12.88%
Q1: 7.15%
Min: -6.84%

In the upper quartile for the Entertainment industry, NTES’s Return on Equity of 24.25% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.

VRSN

113.55%

IT Services Industry

Max: 29.51%
Q3: 16.98%
Median: 13.47%
Q1: 7.93%
Min: -3.97%

VRSN’s Return on Equity of 113.55% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the IT Services industry. This demonstrates a superior ability to generate profit from shareholder investments, though it could also be inflated by high financial leverage.

NTES vs. VRSN: A comparison of their Return on Equity (TTM) against their respective Entertainment and IT Services industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin (TTM)

NTES

31.19%

Entertainment Industry

Max: 45.25%
Q3: 23.93%
Median: 14.60%
Q1: 4.89%
Min: -22.94%

A Net Profit Margin of 31.19% places NTES in the upper quartile for the Entertainment industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.

VRSN

50.03%

IT Services Industry

Max: 19.82%
Q3: 11.49%
Median: 6.67%
Q1: 3.61%
Min: -4.62%

VRSN’s Net Profit Margin of 50.03% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the IT Services industry. This demonstrates outstanding operational efficiency and a strong competitive advantage in converting revenue into profit.

NTES vs. VRSN: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Entertainment and IT Services industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin (TTM)

NTES

31.43%

Entertainment Industry

Max: 46.83%
Q3: 28.87%
Median: 15.26%
Q1: 8.95%
Min: -5.53%

An Operating Profit Margin of 31.43% places NTES in the upper quartile for the Entertainment industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.

VRSN

67.89%

IT Services Industry

Max: 21.69%
Q3: 14.50%
Median: 10.06%
Q1: 6.98%
Min: 0.06%

VRSN’s Operating Profit Margin of 67.89% is exceptionally high, placing it well above the typical range for the IT Services industry. This demonstrates outstanding efficiency in managing its core operations, which can be a result of strong pricing power or superior cost control.

NTES vs. VRSN: A comparison of their Operating Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Entertainment and IT Services industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	NTES	VRSN
Return on Equity (TTM)	24.25%	113.55%
Return on Assets (TTM)	17.31%	55.87%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	31.19%	50.03%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	31.43%	67.89%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	63.17%	87.88%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

NTES

3.23

Entertainment Industry

Max: 6.80
Q3: 3.77
Median: 1.87
Q1: 0.86
Min: 0.39

NTES’s Current Ratio of 3.23 aligns with the median group of the Entertainment industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.

VRSN

0.54

IT Services Industry

Max: 2.42
Q3: 1.81
Median: 1.47
Q1: 1.09
Min: 0.44

VRSN’s Current Ratio of 0.54 falls into the lower quartile for the IT Services industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.

NTES vs. VRSN: A comparison of their Current Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Entertainment and IT Services industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)

NTES

0.08

Entertainment Industry

Max: 1.65
Q3: 0.71
Median: 0.14
Q1: 0.04
Min: 0.00

NTES’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.08 is typical for the Entertainment industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.

VRSN

1.07

IT Services Industry

Max: 2.33
Q3: 1.17
Median: 0.54
Q1: 0.15
Min: 0.00

VRSN’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.07 is typical for the IT Services industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.

NTES vs. VRSN: A comparison of their Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Entertainment and IT Services industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)

NTES

161.13

Entertainment Industry

Max: 62.11
Q3: 31.19
Median: 7.50
Q1: 2.02
Min: -6.33

With an Interest Coverage Ratio of 161.13, NTES demonstrates a superior capacity to service its debt, placing it well above the typical range for the Entertainment industry. This stems from either robust earnings or a conservative debt load.

VRSN

27.96

IT Services Industry

Max: 144.50
Q3: 84.49
Median: 13.76
Q1: 2.59
Min: -28.13

VRSN’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 27.96 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the IT Services industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.

NTES vs. VRSN: A comparison of their Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) against their respective Entertainment and IT Services industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	NTES	VRSN
Current Ratio (MRQ)	3.23	0.54
Quick Ratio (MRQ)	3.10	0.50
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)	0.08	1.07
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	161.13	27.96

Growth

Revenue Growth

NTES vs. VRSN: A side-by-side comparison of their Revenue Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

EPS Growth

NTES vs. VRSN: A side-by-side comparison of their EPS Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

Dividend

Dividend Yield (TTM)

NTES

2.18%

Entertainment Industry

Max: 2.54%
Q3: 1.29%
Median: 0.61%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

With a Dividend Yield of 2.18%, NTES offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Entertainment industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.

VRSN

0.00%

IT Services Industry

Max: 2.80%
Q3: 1.74%
Median: 0.62%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

VRSN currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.

NTES vs. VRSN: A comparison of their Dividend Yield (TTM) against their respective Entertainment and IT Services industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

NTES

36.90%

Entertainment Industry

Max: 82.30%
Q3: 45.76%
Median: 29.16%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

NTES’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 36.90% is within the typical range for the Entertainment industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

VRSN

0.00%

IT Services Industry

Max: 147.75%
Q3: 63.58%
Median: 24.63%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

VRSN has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 0%, indicating it does not currently pay a dividend. This is a common strategy for growth-oriented companies that reinvest all profits back into the business.

NTES vs. VRSN: A comparison of their Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) against their respective Entertainment and IT Services industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	NTES	VRSN
Dividend Yield (TTM)	2.18%	0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	36.90%	0.00%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)

NTES

16.94

Entertainment Industry

Max: 53.51
Q3: 45.31
Median: 33.16
Q1: 18.21
Min: 3.89

In the lower quartile for the Entertainment industry, NTES’s P/E Ratio of 16.94 suggests the stock may be undervalued compared to its peers, potentially presenting an attractive entry point for investors.

VRSN

31.73

IT Services Industry

Max: 41.55
Q3: 31.54
Median: 23.25
Q1: 18.12
Min: 6.57

A P/E Ratio of 31.73 places VRSN in the upper quartile for the IT Services industry. This high valuation relative to peers suggests the market holds elevated expectations for the company’s future growth.

NTES vs. VRSN: A comparison of their Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) against their respective Entertainment and IT Services industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)

NTES

5.28

Entertainment Industry

Max: 12.81
Q3: 7.20
Median: 4.68
Q1: 3.32
Min: 0.79

NTES’s P/S Ratio of 5.28 aligns with the market consensus for the Entertainment industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.

VRSN

15.88

IT Services Industry

Max: 6.61
Q3: 4.37
Median: 2.02
Q1: 1.20
Min: 0.19

With a P/S Ratio of 15.88, VRSN trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the IT Services industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.

NTES vs. VRSN: A comparison of their Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) against their respective Entertainment and IT Services industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)

NTES

4.09

Entertainment Industry

Max: 17.11
Q3: 8.38
Median: 5.24
Q1: 2.18
Min: 0.67

NTES’s P/B Ratio of 4.09 is within the conventional range for the Entertainment industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.

VRSN

11.17

IT Services Industry

Max: 11.19
Q3: 6.38
Median: 3.47
Q1: 2.31
Min: 0.96

VRSN’s P/B Ratio of 11.17 is in the upper tier for the IT Services industry. This indicates that investors are paying a premium relative to the company’s net assets, a valuation that hinges on its ability to generate superior profits.

NTES vs. VRSN: A comparison of their Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Entertainment and IT Services industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	NTES	VRSN
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)	16.94	31.73
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)	5.28	15.88
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)	4.09	11.17
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM)	13.09	26.71