ACTG vs. VSEC

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

ACTG (Acacia Research Corporation) and VSEC (VSE Corporation) are both stocks. Both are in the Industrials sector — ACTG in Specialty Business Services, VSEC in Aerospace & Defense. Over the past 10 years, ACTG returned -0.98%/yr vs 19.16%/yr for VSEC. At a 0.21 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

ACTG vs. VSEC - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Acacia Research Corporation (ACTG) and VSE Corporation (VSEC). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ACTG achieves a 24.06% return, which is significantly higher than VSEC's 1.98% return. Over the past 10 years, ACTG has underperformed VSEC with an annualized return of -0.98%, while VSEC has yielded a comparatively higher 19.16% annualized return.

ACTG

• 1D: -1.90%
• 1M: -10.08%
• YTD: 24.06%
• 6M: 17.17%
• 1Y: 23.08%
• 3Y*: 2.57%
• 5Y*: -2.59%
• 10Y*: -0.98%

VSEC

• 1D: -2.31%
• 1M: 4.71%
• YTD: 1.98%
• 6M: 4.52%
• 1Y: 34.31%
• 3Y*: 51.83%
• 5Y*: 29.45%
• 10Y*: 19.16%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

ACTG vs. VSEC - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
ACTG Acacia Research Corporation	24.06%	-13.82%	10.71%	-6.89%	-17.93%	30.20%	48.12%	-10.74%	-26.42%	-37.69%
VSEC VSE Corporation	1.98%	82.26%	47.93%	39.19%	-22.35%	59.55%	2.54%	28.56%	-37.81%	25.45%

Correlation

The correlation between ACTG and VSEC is 0.23, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.23
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.28
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.30
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.24
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Dec 17, 2002	0.21

Fundamentals

Market Cap ACTG : $447.70M VSEC : $4.90B
EPS ACTG : -$0.19 VSEC : $2.73
PS Ratio ACTG : 2.09 VSEC : 3.43
PB Ratio ACTG : 0.85 VSEC : 1.84
Total Revenue (TTM) ACTG : $215.05M VSEC : $1.18B
Gross Profit (TTM) ACTG : $225.69M VSEC : $105.32M
EBITDA (TTM) ACTG : -$1.70M VSEC : $128.59M

Return for Risk

ACTG vs. VSEC — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

ACTG

ACTG Risk / Return Rank: 60
ACTG Sharpe Ratio Rank: 60
ACTG Sortino Ratio Rank: 57
ACTG Omega Ratio Rank: 55
ACTG Calmar Ratio Rank: 63
ACTG Martin Ratio Rank: 63

VSEC

VSEC Risk / Return Rank: 62
VSEC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 61
VSEC Sortino Ratio Rank: 60
VSEC Omega Ratio Rank: 58
VSEC Calmar Ratio Rank: 63
VSEC Martin Ratio Rank: 68

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

ACTG vs. VSEC - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Acacia Research Corporation (ACTG) and VSE Corporation (VSEC). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	ACTG	VSEC	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.58	0.64	-0.06
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	1.15	1.28	-0.14
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.14	1.16	-0.02
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.12	1.14	-0.01
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	2.45	3.29	-0.84
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ACTG vs. VSEC - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ACTG Sharpe Ratio is 0.58, which is comparable to the VSEC Sharpe Ratio of 0.64. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ACTG and VSEC, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	ACTG	VSEC	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.58	0.64	-0.06
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.06	0.64	-0.71
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	-0.02	0.41	-0.43
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.08	0.26	-0.19

Drawdowns

ACTG vs. VSEC - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ACTG drawdown since its inception was -95.21%, which is greater than VSEC's maximum drawdown of -76.09%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ACTG and VSEC.

Drawdown Indicators

	ACTG	VSEC	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-95.21%	-76.09%	-19.12%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-20.65%	-30.31%	+9.66%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-50.00%	-30.31%	-19.69%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-60.28%	-47.58%	-12.70%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-73.38%	-76.09%	+2.71%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-88.95%	-22.68%	-66.27%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-61.78%	-30.68%	-31.10%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	9.45%	10.47%	-1.02%

Volatility

ACTG vs. VSEC - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Acacia Research Corporation (ACTG) is 8.92%, while VSE Corporation (VSEC) has a volatility of 22.49%. This indicates that ACTG experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than VSEC based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ACTG	VSEC	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	8.92%	22.49%	-13.57%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	28.03%	45.62%	-17.59%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	40.24%	53.79%	-13.55%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	41.33%	46.09%	-4.76%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	44.56%	46.97%	-2.41%

Dividends

ACTG vs. VSEC - Dividend Comparison

ACTG has not paid dividends to shareholders, while VSEC's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.23%.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
ACTG Acacia Research Corporation	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	11.66%
VSEC VSE Corporation	0.23%	0.23%	0.42%	0.77%	0.85%	0.59%	0.94%	0.89%	1.00%	0.54%	0.51%	0.68%

Financials

ACTG vs. VSEC - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Acacia Research Corporation and VSE Corporation over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

ACTG - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Acacia Research Corporation reported a gross profit of 49.41M and revenue of 54.24M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 91.1%.

VSEC - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, VSE Corporation reported a gross profit of 0.00 and revenue of 324.58M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 0.0%.

ACTG - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Acacia Research Corporation reported an operating income of -8.36M and revenue of 54.24M, resulting in an operating margin of -15.4%.

VSEC - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, VSE Corporation reported an operating income of 32.75M and revenue of 324.58M, resulting in an operating margin of 10.1%.

ACTG - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Acacia Research Corporation reported a net income of -15.74M and revenue of 54.24M, resulting in a net margin of -29.0%.

VSEC - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, VSE Corporation reported a net income of 29.06M and revenue of 324.58M, resulting in a net margin of 9.0%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both ACTG and VSEC in my portfolio?

ACTG and VSEC have a correlation of 0.23, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, ACTG or VSEC?

VSEC has higher volatility (22.49%) compared to ACTG (8.92%). In terms of maximum drawdown, ACTG dropped -95.21% vs VSEC's -76.09%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

VSEC currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.64 vs 0.58), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.