COMPARE · Data as of August 21, 2026
CPAY vs FOUR
Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. CPAY scored 78.8, FOUR scored 68.4 — CPAY leads.
Compare another set
CPAY
Corpay, Inc.
78.8
$415.30 · $27.3B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
10.4
CPAY leads
FOUR
Shift4 Payments, Inc.
68.4
$48.53 · $3.8B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
- CheapestCPAY25.3x
- Fastest growthFOUR+32.4%
- Strongest balance sheetFOUR2.62
- Highest qualityCPAY88 / 100
- Largest discount to fair valueFOUR-45%
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)
CPAY
stronger →← stronger
FOUR
88
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
55
92
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
94
60
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
62
FOUR is stronger on 2 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
CPAY
FOUR
$1.6bC+
FCF
$433mC
+20.4%A-
Rev
+32.4%A
2.75D
D/E
2.62D
25.3xB+
P/E
75.8xC
0.93B+
PEG
0.40A
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
CPAY
FOUR
21% below
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
45% below
~3%/yr
Growth the price implies10-yr FCF · lower = less priced in
~-3%/yr
+9%
1-yr DCF upside
+47%
+26%
5-yr DCF upside
+82%
+56%
10-yr DCF upside
+144%
The DCF is a cross-check on intrinsic value, separate from the quality-growth score above.
Model signals
CPAY
Why this score
- Buying back stock
- Durable high returns
FOUR
Why this score
- Buying back stock
The companies
CPAYCorpay, Inc.
Why now
Software - Infrastructure · market cap $27.3b. Trading near 52-week high of $425.95 — momentum setup, limited technical margin of safety. Revenue growing +20%, comfortably above the S&P median. PEG 0.93 — paying under fair value for the growth rate. 14 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $450.64 (implying +9% 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 32% — top-decile capital efficiency. Either pricing leverage, low capital intensity, or aggressive buybacks; the durability story depends on which. FCF converts 144% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash, a sign that working capital and capex are well-disciplined.
Risk
D/E 2.75 is elevated — limits strategic flexibility and raises refinancing exposure if rates stay higher for longer. Trading within 3% of the 52-week high — limited technical margin of safety; a momentum reversal would test conviction. 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.
FOURShift4 Payments, Inc.
Why now
Software - Infrastructure · market cap $3.8b. Down 48% from 52-week high of $92.47 — deep drawdown territory. Revenue growing +32% — in hypergrowth territory. PEG 0.40 — paying under fair value for the growth rate. 20 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $53.70 (implying +11% 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. 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
D/E 2.62 is elevated — limits strategic flexibility and raises refinancing exposure if rates stay higher for longer. Trailing P/E 75.8x prices in sustained high growth — any quarter that disappoints triggers sharp re-rating. Down 48% from the 52-week high — the market is pricing in something the screen can't see; verify the bear case before sizing up.
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 CPAY and FOUR diverge
On the headline score the gap is 10.4 points in favor of CPAY. The widest single difference is Quality, where CPAY leads by 33.7 points.
- QualityCPAY 88.3 · FOUR 54.6CPAY +33.7
- GrowthCPAY 91.9 · FOUR 94.4level
- ValueCPAY 60.4 · FOUR 62.0level
Pillars run 0–100 against sector peers, so a 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.