COMPARE · Data as of August 13, 2026
APP vs STGW
Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. APP scored 81.8, STGW scored 52.9 — APP leads.
Compare another set
APP
AppLovin Corporation
81.8
$312.67 · $105.0B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
28.9
APP leads
STGW
Stagwell Inc.
52.9
$9.31 · $2.3B
fundamentals as of
The model, pillar by pillar (0–100 each)
APP
stronger →← stronger
STGW
90
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
50
96
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
56
63
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
53
APP is stronger on 3 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
APP
STGW
$4.5bB
FCF
$253mC
+60.6%A
Rev
+6.4%C+
1.11C+
D/E
2.41C
23.4xC+
P/E
155.2xD
0.94B+
PEG
0.39A
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
1% below
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
41% below
~14%/yr
Growth the price implies10-yr FCF · lower = less priced in
~-5%/yr
-23%
1-yr DCF upside
+51%
+1%
5-yr DCF upside
+68%
+51%
10-yr DCF upside
+97%
These two disagree on this pair: the Value pillar ranks cheapness against sector peers, while price-vs-fair-value is an absolute read. A name can be the better value in its sector and still the dearer one on cash flows.
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 $105.0b. Down 58% from 52-week high of $745.61 — deep drawdown territory. Revenue growing +61% — in hypergrowth territory. PEG 0.94 — paying under fair value for the growth rate. 30 sell-side analysts rate this a Strong Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $559.00 (implying +79% upside).
Moat
Net margin 65% is exceptional — pricing-power territory rare outside premium software, branded staples, and specialty pharma. FCF converts 103% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash, a sign that working capital and capex are well-disciplined. $105.0b 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 58% 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. P/S 15.4x embeds aggressive forward growth — disappointing top-line guidance would compress the multiple hard.
STGWStagwell Inc.
Why now
Advertising Agencies · market cap $2.3b. Trading near 52-week high of $9.55 — momentum setup, limited technical margin of safety. PEG 0.39 — paying under fair value for the growth rate. 7 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $9.86 (implying +6% 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 155.2x prices in sustained high growth — any quarter that disappoints triggers sharp re-rating. Trading within 3% 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.
Where APP and STGW diverge
On the headline score the gap is 28.9 points in favour of APP. The widest single difference is Growth, where APP leads by 40.3 points.
- GrowthAPP 96.1 · STGW 55.8APP +40.3
- QualityAPP 90.3 · STGW 50.4APP +39.9
- ValueAPP 63.2 · STGW 52.6APP +10.6
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.