DBX vs. PAYX

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Dropbox, Inc. (DBX) and Paychex, Inc. (PAYX).

Performance

DBX vs. PAYX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Dropbox, Inc. (DBX) and Paychex, Inc. (PAYX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

DBX vs. PAYX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
DBX Dropbox, Inc.	-17.01%	-7.46%	1.90%	31.72%	-8.80%	10.59%	23.90%	-12.33%	-28.27%
PAYX Paychex, Inc.	-18.12%	-17.49%	21.31%	6.21%	-13.16%	50.16%	13.25%	34.53%	8.30%

Fundamentals

Market Cap DBX : $5.86B PAYX : $32.78B
EPS DBX : $1.92 PAYX : $4.53
PE Ratio DBX : 12.04 PAYX : 20.08
PEG Ratio DBX : 0.47 PAYX : 1.78
PS Ratio DBX : 2.43 PAYX : 5.19
Total Revenue (TTM) DBX : $2.52B PAYX : $6.33B
Gross Profit (TTM) DBX : $2.02B PAYX : $4.68B
EBITDA (TTM) DBX : $828.20M PAYX : $2.09B

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, DBX achieves a -17.01% return, which is significantly higher than PAYX's -18.12% return.

DBX

• 1D: 1.54%
• 1M: -7.57%
• YTD: -17.01%
• 6M: -21.85%
• 1Y: -15.12%
• 3Y*: 2.19%
• 5Y*: -3.37%
• 10Y*: —

PAYX

• 1D: -1.31%
• 1M: -3.54%
• YTD: -18.12%
• 6M: -25.21%
• 1Y: -39.12%
• 3Y*: -4.46%
• 5Y*: 1.24%
• 10Y*: 8.56%

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

Return for Risk

DBX vs. PAYX — Risk / Return Rank

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

DBX

DBX Risk / Return Rank: 20
DBX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 17
DBX Sortino Ratio Rank: 16
DBX Omega Ratio Rank: 18
DBX Calmar Ratio Rank: 26
DBX Martin Ratio Rank: 20

PAYX

PAYX Risk / Return Rank: 3
PAYX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 0
PAYX Sortino Ratio Rank: 1
PAYX Omega Ratio Rank: 2
PAYX Calmar Ratio Rank: 7
PAYX Martin Ratio Rank: 5

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.

DBX vs. PAYX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Dropbox, Inc. (DBX) and Paychex, Inc. (PAYX). 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.

	DBX	PAYX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	-0.54	-1.50	+0.96
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	-0.63	-2.16	+1.53
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.93	0.73	+0.20
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.44	-0.89	+0.45
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	-1.11	-1.65	+0.54
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

DBX vs. PAYX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current DBX Sharpe Ratio is -0.54, which is higher than the PAYX Sharpe Ratio of -1.50. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of DBX and PAYX, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	DBX	PAYX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.54	-1.50	+0.96
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.11	0.05	-0.16
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.34	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	-0.07	0.53	-0.60

Correlation

The correlation between DBX and PAYX is 0.36, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

DBX vs. PAYX - Dividend Comparison

DBX has not paid dividends to shareholders, while PAYX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.75%.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
DBX Dropbox, Inc.	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
PAYX Paychex, Inc.	4.75%	3.76%	2.73%	2.90%	2.62%	1.90%	2.66%	2.85%	3.35%	2.82%	2.89%	3.03%

Drawdowns

DBX vs. PAYX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum DBX drawdown since its inception was -62.64%, roughly equal to the maximum PAYX drawdown of -64.85%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for DBX and PAYX.

Drawdown Indicators

	DBX	PAYX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-62.64%	-64.85%	+2.21%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-31.15%	-43.78%	+12.63%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-41.52%	-43.78%	+2.26%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-44.15%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-45.07%	-41.52%	-3.55%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-40.53%	-17.84%	-22.69%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	12.30%	23.63%	-11.33%

Volatility

DBX vs. PAYX - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Dropbox, Inc. (DBX) is 7.91%, while Paychex, Inc. (PAYX) has a volatility of 8.85%. This indicates that DBX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than PAYX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	DBX	PAYX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.91%	8.85%	-0.94%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	20.88%	18.49%	+2.39%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	28.28%	26.16%	+2.12%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	32.09%	23.32%	+8.77%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	38.51%	24.97%	+13.54%

Financials

DBX vs. PAYX - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Dropbox, Inc. and Paychex, Inc. over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

DBX - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Dropbox, Inc. reported a gross profit of 504.10M and revenue of 636.20M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 79.2%.

PAYX - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Paychex, Inc. reported a gross profit of 1.38B and revenue of 1.81B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 76.2%.

DBX - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Dropbox, Inc. reported an operating income of 156.10M and revenue of 636.20M, resulting in an operating margin of 24.5%.

PAYX - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Paychex, Inc. reported an operating income of 792.00M and revenue of 1.81B, resulting in an operating margin of 43.8%.

DBX - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Dropbox, Inc. reported a net income of 108.70M and revenue of 636.20M, resulting in a net margin of 17.1%.

PAYX - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Paychex, Inc. reported a net income of 560.30M and revenue of 1.81B, resulting in a net margin of 31.0%.