Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. ESTC scored 66.6, GEN scored 82.2 — GEN leads.
Compare another set
ESTC
Elastic N.V.
Software - Application · Quality-Growth
66.6
$98.23 · $10.3B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
15.6
GEN leads
GEN
Gen Digital Inc.
Software - Infrastructure · Quality-Growth
82.2
$23.25 · $13.9B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
CheapestGEN13.6x
Fastest growthGEN+27.1%
Strongest balance sheetESTC0.46
Highest qualityGEN80 / 100
Largest discount to fair valueGEN-42%
Side by side · every name on one set of axes
Growth against the P/E multiple. Up and to the right is cheaper and faster — the quality-growth idea in one picture. Points beyond the axis are pinned to the edge and marked off-scale rather than allowed to compress everything else.
The model, pillar by pillar (0–100 each)
ESTC
stronger →← stronger
GEN
52
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
80
91
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
88
62
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
79
GEN is stronger on 2 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
ESTC
GEN
$349mC
FCF
$1.5bC+
+17.3%B+
Rev
+27.1%A-
0.46B
D/E
3.08D
28.1xB
P/E
13.6xA-
1.37B
PEG
1.17B+
Winner per row is the stronger grade; where grades tie, the better figure breaks it. A true tie or a missing value shows no highlight.
Valuation · DCF cross-check
ESTC
GEN
52% above
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
42% below
~22%/yr
Growth the price impliesyr-1 FCF growth, fading to 4% · lower = less priced in
~-4%/yr
-45%
1-yr DCF upside
+51%
-34%
5-yr DCF upside
+73%
-15%
10-yr DCF upside
+108%
The DCF is a cross-check on intrinsic value, separate from the quality-growth score above.
Model signals
ESTC
No notable signals flagged.
GEN
Why this score
Buying back stock
Durable high returns
The companies
ESTCElastic N.V.
Software - Application · $98.23 · beta 1.04
Why now
Software - Application · market cap $10.3b. 9% off the 52-week high of $108.00. Revenue growing +17%, comfortably above the S&P median. 26 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $111.19 (implying +13% upside).
Moat
Net margin 21% sits well above the S&P median (~11%) — suggests structural pricing advantage or cost discipline competitors can't quickly close. ROE 33% — top-decile capital efficiency. Either pricing leverage, low capital intensity, or aggressive buybacks; the durability story depends on which. Software economics — recurring revenue, embedded customer workflows, and high gross margin all compound the moat once a base account is won. Switching costs are the lever.
Risk
SaaS displacement — recurring revenue is sticky in good times but accelerates in churn during a downturn as customers consolidate vendors and renegotiate seat counts.
GENGen Digital Inc.
Software - Infrastructure · $23.25 · beta 1.26
Why now
Software - Infrastructure · market cap $13.9b. Down 27% from 52-week high of $31.65 — deep drawdown territory. Revenue growing +27% — in hypergrowth territory. 9 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $32.56 (implying +40% upside).
Moat
Net margin 21% sits well above the S&P median (~11%) — suggests structural pricing advantage or cost discipline competitors can't quickly close. ROE 42% — top-decile capital efficiency. Either pricing leverage, low capital intensity, or aggressive buybacks; the durability story depends on which. FCF converts 147% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash.
Risk
D/E 3.08 is elevated — limits strategic flexibility and raises refinancing exposure if rates stay higher for longer. Software — competitive moat is durable until it isn't; watch net revenue retention, gross margin trends, and any new market entrant with a fundamentally lower price point.
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.
Where ESTC and GEN diverge
On the headline score the gap is 15.6 points in favor of GEN. The widest single difference is Quality, where GEN leads by 27.6 points.
QualityESTC 52.5 · GEN 80.1GEN +27.6
ValueESTC 62.0 · GEN 78.6GEN +16.6
GrowthESTC 91.0 · GEN 88.2level
Pillars run 0–100. Value is judged against each company's own sector, so a Value score is a statement about a company relative to its own industry rather than to the other name here. A wide Value gap usually means the market already prices the difference in quality or growth — which is the trade-off this comparison comes down to.
Common questions
Is GEN or ESTC the better stock?
GEN scores higher: GEN 82.2, ESTC 66.6 out of 100 on the Bull Rankings quality-growth score, which blends business quality, growth and valuation into one number. A higher score means a stronger business at a more reasonable price — it is not a price target or a recommendation.
Where do GEN and ESTC differ most?
The widest gap is quality, where GEN leads by 28 points on the 0–100 pillar scale. GEN also leads value, while growth is effectively level between them.
How are GEN and ESTC scored?
Each carries the same 0–100 quality-growth score used everywhere on the site, built from three pillars — quality (profitability and returns on capital), growth (revenue and earnings), and value (what you pay for them) — combined as a geometric mean, so a weak pillar cannot be papered over by a strong one.
How current is this comparison?
The whole universe is re-scored every trading day after the US market close, so the scores and fundamentals here reflect the latest published edition.