Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. FDS scored 79.0, NDAQ scored 79.0 — tied at the top.
Compare another set
FDS
FactSet Research Systems Inc.
Financial Data & Stock Exchanges · Financial strength
60.2Fin
$287.18 · $10.2B
fundamentals as of
Strength gap
9.0
FDS leads
NDAQ
Nasdaq, Inc.
Financial Data & Stock Exchanges · Financial strength
51.2Fin
$93.65 · $52.3B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
CheapestFDS19.7x
Fastest growthNDAQ+11.6%
Strongest balance sheetFDS0.77
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.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
FDS
NDAQ
$708mC+
FCF
$2.0bC+
+6.6%C+
Rev
+11.6%B
0.77B
D/E
0.78B
19.7xC
P/E
27.3xC
1.27B
PEG
1.47B
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.
The companies
FDSFactSet Research Systems Inc.
Financial Data & Stock Exchanges · $287.18 · beta 0.77
Why now
Financial Data & Stock Exchanges · market cap $10.2b. 10% off the 52-week high of $320.48. 16 sell-side analysts rate this a Hold with a mean 1-yr target of $278.19 (implying -3% upside).
Moat
Net margin 23% sits well above the S&P median (~11%) — suggests structural pricing advantage or cost discipline competitors can't quickly close. ROE 28% — top-decile capital efficiency. Either pricing leverage, low capital intensity, or aggressive buybacks; the durability story depends on which. FCF converts 125% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash.
Risk
Mature compounder — the risk is paying up for quality at a moment when growth is decelerating. Watch for sequential revenue + margin trends; the inflection from "compounder" to "ex-compounder" is hard to spot until the multiple already started compressing.
NDAQNasdaq, Inc.
Financial Data & Stock Exchanges · $93.65 · beta 1.00
Why now
Financial Data & Stock Exchanges · market cap $52.3b. 8% off the 52-week high of $101.79. Revenue growing +12%, comfortably above the S&P median. 16 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $108.69 (implying +16% upside).
Moat
Net margin 35% is exceptional — pricing-power territory rare outside premium software, branded staples, and specialty pharma. ROE 17% is above 15% — the equity base is compounding at a rate the market struggles to discount accurately. FCF converts 99% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash.
Risk
Mature compounder — the risk is paying up for quality at a moment when growth is decelerating. Watch for sequential revenue + margin trends; the inflection from "compounder" to "ex-compounder" is hard to spot until the multiple already started compressing.
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.
Common questions
Is FDS or NDAQ the better stock?
On the Bull Rankings quality-growth score they are level: FDS and NDAQ both score 79.0 out of 100. The score blends business quality, growth and valuation into one number, so a tie means the model sees no meaningful edge either way — the pillar breakdown on this page shows where each is actually stronger.
How are FDS and NDAQ 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.