PS vs. VRSN: Pershing Square vs. VeriSign Stock Comparison
How do Pershing Square (PS) 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
Pershing Square (PS) and VeriSign (VRSN) both fall under the Software & Services industry group, but PS is classified in Software while VRSN is classified in IT Services.
VeriSign (VRSN) has been public since January 30, 1998, giving it decades of market history across multiple cycles, while Pershing Square (PS) listed only on April 29, 2026 and lacks comparable through-cycle data.
| Profile Item | PS | VRSN |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Pluralsight 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 | 20.58 billion USD | 27.69 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | April 29, 2026 | January 30, 1998 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | PS | VRSN |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | -- | 28.37% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | -- | 15.25% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | -- | 5.98% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
Pershing Square (PS) has a highly aggressive beta of 6.25, 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.
| Metric | PS | VRSN |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 100.16% | 28.25% |
| Beta (5Y) | 6.25 | 0.67 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -43.14% | -38.85% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 428.47K | 869.64K |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Both PS and VRSN need 1-year volatility and 1-year return to plot risk-return positioning.
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | PS | VRSN |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -- | 0.85 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -- | 1.24 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Neither Pershing Square (PS) nor VeriSign (VRSN) reports a ROE value for this period, so a direct comparison isn’t possible.
PS
Software & Services industry group
--
- Max
- 53.85%
- Q3
- 17.90%
- Median
- 6.59%
- Q1
- -9.59%
- Min
- -50.52%
- PS
- --
VRSN
Software & Services industry group
--
- Max
- 53.85%
- Q3
- 17.90%
- Median
- 6.59%
- Q1
- -9.59%
- Min
- -50.52%
- VRSN
- --
Net Margin (TTM)
Pershing Square (PS) reports a negative net margin of -20.98%, usually indicating a net loss over the period. Meanwhile VeriSign (VRSN) reports 49.07%, ranking against industry peers normally.
PS
Software & Services industry group
-20.98%
- Max
- 41.17%
- Q3
- 15.28%
- Median
- 4.63%
- Q1
- -5.42%
- PS
- -20.98%
- 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)
Pershing Square (PS) reports a negative operating margin of -35.45%, usually indicating that operating costs exceeded revenue at the operating-income line. Meanwhile VeriSign (VRSN) reports 68.62%, ranking against industry peers normally.
PS
Software & Services industry group
-35.45%
- Max
- 46.89%
- Q3
- 17.64%
- Median
- 8.73%
- Q1
- -2.13%
- Min
- -30.45%
- PS
- -35.45%
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 | PS | VRSN |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | -- | -- |
| ROA (TTM) | -- | 54.90% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | -20.98% | 49.07% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | -35.45% | 68.62% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 24.74% | 88.57% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Pershing Square (PS) at 64.66% delivers above-range revenue growth, while VeriSign (VRSN) at 6.37% falls into the bottom quartile — a wide split in revenue momentum.
EPS Growth
Only one side can be read here: VeriSign (VRSN) reports EPS growth of 10.13%, ranked against its industry; Pershing Square (PS) has no EPS growth figure this period.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | PS | VRSN |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 64.66% | 6.37% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | 5.15% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -- | 10.13% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | 12.18% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Short-term liquidity can only be read on one side of this pairing: VeriSign (VRSN) shows current ratio of 0.42 against its industry benchmark, while Pershing Square (PS) has no reading this period.
PS
Software & Services industry group
--
- Max
- 5.11
- Q3
- 2.77
- Median
- 1.67
- Q1
- 1.01
- Min
- 0.03
- PS
- --
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: Pershing Square (PS) carries debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18 against its industry range, while VeriSign (VRSN) reports no figure this period.
PS
Software & Services industry group
0.18
- Max
- 2.52
- Q3
- 1.13
- Median
- 0.40
- PS
- 0.18
- 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 | PS | VRSN |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | -- | 0.42 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.18 | -- |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 4.35 | 1.09 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Both Pershing Square (PS) at 0.24% and VeriSign (VRSN) at 1.03% yield above their industries’ entire benchmark ranges — high enough that dividend safety, not income, becomes the first question.
PS
Software & Services industry group
0.24%
- PS
- 0.24%
- 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)
Pershing Square (PS) reports a negative payout ratio of -10.99%, usually because earnings are negative; the payout ratio is not a useful dividend-sustainability benchmark in that state. Meanwhile VeriSign (VRSN) reports 34.45%, ranking against industry peers normally.
PS
Software & Services industry group
-10.99%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
- PS
- -10.99%
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 | PS | VRSN |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.24% | 1.03% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | -10.99% | 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 Pershing Square (PS) has no P/E ratio this period.
PS
Software & Services industry group
--
- Max
- 112.94
- Q3
- 60.32
- Median
- 32.91
- Q1
- 18.77
- Min
- 6.69
- PS
- --
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 Pershing Square (PS) at 27.11 prices even higher, above its industry range.
PS
Software & Services industry group
27.11
- PS
- 27.11
- 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 Pershing Square (PS) reports 15.12, ranking against industry peers normally.
PS
Software & Services industry group
15.12
- Max
- 16.63
- PS
- 15.12
- Q3
- 8.50
- Median
- 4.30
- Q1
- 1.92
- 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 | PS | VRSN |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | -- | 33.23 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 27.11 | 15.99 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 15.12 | -12.13 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | 2.89% |