COMPARE · Data as of August 21, 2026
ADBE vs NOW
Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. ADBE scored 89.4, NOW scored 71.7 — ADBE leads.
Compare another set
ADBE
Adobe Inc.
89.4
$275.30 · $109.4B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
17.7
ADBE leads
NOW
ServiceNow, Inc.
71.7
$128.48 · $132.8B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
- CheapestADBE15.7x
- Fastest growthNOW+22.2%
- Strongest balance sheetADBE0.61
- Highest qualityADBE92 / 100
- Largest discount to fair valueADBE-23%
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)
ADBE
stronger →← stronger
NOW
92
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
67
86
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
91
90
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
61
ADBE is stronger on 2 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
ADBE
NOW
$10.3bA-
FCF
$4.6bB
+11.5%B
Rev
+22.2%A-
0.61C+
D/E
0.68C+
15.7xA-
P/E
79.8xC
0.66A-
PEG
1.14B+
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
ADBE
NOW
23% below
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
21% above
~2%/yr
Growth the price implies10-yr FCF · lower = less priced in
~18%/yr
+15%
1-yr DCF upside
-36%
+30%
5-yr DCF upside
-17%
+53%
10-yr DCF upside
+20%
The DCF is a cross-check on intrinsic value, separate from the quality-growth score above.
Model signals
ADBE
Why this score
- Buying back stock
- Durable high returns
NOW
No notable signals flagged.
The companies
ADBEAdobe Inc.
Why now
Software - Application · market cap $109.4b. Down 26% from 52-week high of $370.86 — deep drawdown territory. Revenue growing +11%, comfortably above the S&P median. PEG 0.66 — paying under fair value for the growth rate. 34 sell-side analysts rate this a Hold with a mean 1-yr target of $270.61 (implying -2% upside).
Moat
Net margin 29% sits well above the S&P median (~11%) — suggests structural pricing advantage or cost discipline competitors can't quickly close. ROE 63% — top-decile capital efficiency. Either pricing leverage, low capital intensity, or aggressive buybacks; the durability story depends on which. FCF converts 142% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash, a sign that working capital and capex are well-disciplined.
Risk
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.
NOWServiceNow, Inc.
Why now
Software - Application · market cap $132.8b. Down 34% from 52-week high of $194.73 — deep drawdown territory. Revenue growing +22%, comfortably above the S&P median. 46 sell-side analysts rate this a Strong Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $142.23 (implying +11% upside).
Moat
ROE 13% meets the long-run market sustainable threshold — solid but not differentiated; the durability comes from elsewhere. 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. $132.8b 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
Trailing P/E 79.8x prices in sustained high growth — any quarter that disappoints triggers sharp re-rating. Down 34% from the 52-week high — the market is pricing in something the screen can't see; verify the bear case before sizing up. 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 ADBE and NOW diverge
On the headline score the gap is 17.7 points in favor of ADBE. They get there differently, though — each leads on a different pillar, so the better pick depends on which you weight.
- ValueADBE 90.4 · NOW 60.9ADBE +29.5
- QualityADBE 92.0 · NOW 66.7ADBE +25.3
- GrowthADBE 85.8 · NOW 90.8NOW +5.0
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.