COMPARE · Reviewed August 3, 2026
APP vs STGW
Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. APP scored 79.8, STGW scored 58.2 — APP leads.
Compare another set
Different reporting periods. STGW's fundamentals are as of June 2026, but APP's are as of March 2026 — a 3-month gap. Growth, margin and valuation figures below therefore describe different windows and aren't strictly like-for-like.
APP
AppLovin Corporation
79.8
$414.67 · $139.3B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
21.6
APP leads
STGW
Stagwell Inc.
58.2
$8.71 · $2.1B
fundamentals as of
The model, pillar by pillar (0–100 each)
APP
stronger →← stronger
STGW
89
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
51
98
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
70
59
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
56
APP is stronger on 3 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
APP
STGW
$4.4bB
FCF
$253mC
+66.4%A
Rev
+6.4%C+
1.63C
D/E
2.41C
36.1xC+
P/E
145.2xD
1.09B+
PEG
0.41A
Winner per row is the stronger grade in our model; a tie or a missing value shows no highlight.
Valuation · DCF cross-check
APP
STGW
34% above
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
45% below
~22%/yr
Growth the price implies10-yr FCF · lower = less priced in
~-7%/yr
-43%
1-yr DCF upside
+62%
-25%
5-yr DCF upside
+83%
+11%
10-yr DCF upside
+117%
The DCF is a cross-check on intrinsic value, separate from the quality-growth score above.
Model signals
APP
Why this score
- Durable high returns
STGW
Why this score
- Buying back stock
The companies
APPAppLovin Corporation
Why now
Advertising Agencies · market cap $139.3b. Down 44% from 52-week high of $745.61 — deep drawdown territory. Revenue growing +66% — in hypergrowth territory. 30 sell-side analysts rate this a Strong Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $654.60 (implying +58% upside).
Moat
Net margin 64% is exceptional — pricing-power territory rare outside premium software, branded staples, and specialty pharma. FCF converts 112% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash, a sign that working capital and capex are well-disciplined. $139.3b market cap gives the company enough scale to absorb fixed costs that subscale competitors can't, without yet being so large that growth has to come from acquisition.
Risk
Down 44% from the 52-week high — the market is pricing in something the screen can't see; verify the bear case before sizing up. Beta 2.53 implies above-market volatility — position-size to the drawdowns this name will produce in a market correction, not to its bull-case return. Trailing P/E 36x sits well above the S&P median (~20x) — multiple compression is a real risk if revenue growth decelerates.
STGWStagwell Inc.
Why now
Advertising Agencies · market cap $2.1b. Trading near 52-week high of $8.77 — momentum setup, limited technical margin of safety. PEG 0.41 — paying under fair value for the growth rate. 7 sell-side analysts rate this a Strong Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $9.71 (implying +12% upside).
Moat
Free cash flow runs well ahead of reported net income — non-cash charges (depreciation, intangible amortization) are holding down GAAP earnings while cash generation stays strong.
Risk
D/E 2.41 is elevated — limits strategic flexibility and raises refinancing exposure if rates stay higher for longer. Trailing P/E 145.2x prices in sustained high growth — any quarter that disappoints triggers sharp re-rating. Trading within 1% of the 52-week high — limited technical margin of safety; a momentum reversal would test conviction.
Verdict — model-derived comparison
Generating verdict… typically 5–10 seconds
Not investment advice. The Bull Rankings publishes a quantitative ranking model and accompanying analysis for general informational purposes only. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security; nothing is personalized to your circumstances, risk tolerance, or tax situation. Investing carries the risk of loss — invest at your own risk and consider consulting a licensed financial professional before acting on anything you read here. See terms and methodology for full disclosures.