NOW vs. MA

Last updated Jun 6, 2026

NOW (ServiceNow, Inc) and MA (Mastercard Incorporated) are both stocks. NOW operates in Software - Application (Technology), while MA operates in Credit Services (Financial Services). Over the past 10 years, NOW returned 22.15%/yr vs 18.35%/yr for MA. At a 0.47 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

NOW vs. MA - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in ServiceNow, Inc (NOW) and Mastercard Incorporated (MA). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, NOW achieves a -26.59% return, which is significantly lower than MA's -13.70% return. Over the past 10 years, NOW has outperformed MA with an annualized return of 22.15%, while MA has yielded a comparatively lower 18.35% annualized return.

NOW

• 1D: -5.79%
• 1M: 26.28%
• YTD: -26.59%
• 6M: -34.19%
• 1Y: -44.75%
• 3Y*: 0.39%
• 5Y*: 4.07%
• 10Y*: 22.15%

MA

• 1D: 1.93%
• 1M: -0.16%
• YTD: -13.70%
• 6M: -9.69%
• 1Y: -15.62%
• 3Y*: 9.57%
• 5Y*: 6.67%
• 10Y*: 18.35%

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

NOW vs. MA - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
NOW ServiceNow, Inc	-26.59%	-27.75%	50.05%	81.96%	-40.18%	17.93%	94.97%	58.56%	36.55%	75.40%
MA Mastercard Incorporated	-13.70%	9.04%	24.17%	23.40%	-2.66%	1.16%	20.19%	59.16%	25.31%	47.69%

Correlation

The correlation between NOW and MA is 0.33, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.33
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.35
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.43
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.50
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jul 2, 2012	0.47

The correlation between NOW and MA shifts across timeframes, from 0.33 (1 year) to 0.49 (10 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Fundamentals

Market Cap NOW : $116.95B MA : $438.53B
EPS NOW : $1.68 MA : $17.28
PE Ratio NOW : 66.94 MA : 28.43
PEG Ratio NOW : 0.56 MA : 1.66
PS Ratio NOW : 8.42 MA : 13.04
PB Ratio NOW : 8.61 MA : 65.24
Total Revenue (TTM) NOW : $13.96B MA : $33.94B
Gross Profit (TTM) NOW : $10.69B MA : $26.70B
EBITDA (TTM) NOW : $2.80B MA : $21.23B

Return for Risk

NOW vs. MA — Risk / Return Rank

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

NOW

NOW Risk / Return Rank: 9
NOW Sharpe Ratio Rank: 7
NOW Sortino Ratio Rank: 8
NOW Omega Ratio Rank: 8
NOW Calmar Ratio Rank: 14
NOW Martin Ratio Rank: 10

MA

MA Risk / Return Rank: 12
MA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 12
MA Sortino Ratio Rank: 14
MA Omega Ratio Rank: 14
MA Calmar Ratio Rank: 13
MA 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.

NOW vs. MA - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for ServiceNow, Inc (NOW) and Mastercard Incorporated (MA). 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.

	NOW	MA	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	-0.90	-0.71	-0.20
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	-1.25	-0.86	-0.39
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.84	0.89	-0.05
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.74	-0.75	+0.01
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	-1.34	-1.54	+0.19
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

NOW vs. MA - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current NOW Sharpe Ratio is -0.90, which is comparable to the MA Sharpe Ratio of -0.71. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of NOW and MA, 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

	NOW	MA	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.90	-0.71	-0.20
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.09	0.28	-0.19
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.54	0.68	-0.14
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.61	0.83	-0.23

Drawdowns

NOW vs. MA - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum NOW drawdown since its inception was -64.54%, roughly equal to the maximum MA drawdown of -62.67%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for NOW and MA.

Drawdown Indicators

	NOW	MA	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-64.54%	-62.67%	-1.87%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-60.28%	-20.91%	-39.37%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-64.54%	-20.91%	-43.63%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-64.54%	-28.25%	-36.29%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-64.54%	-41.00%	-23.54%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-51.96%	-17.64%	-34.32%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-13.73%	-9.82%	-3.91%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	33.31%	10.19%	+23.12%

Volatility

NOW vs. MA - Volatility Comparison

ServiceNow, Inc (NOW) has a higher volatility of 25.06% compared to Mastercard Incorporated (MA) at 6.54%. This indicates that NOW's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than MA based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	NOW	MA	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	25.06%	6.54%	+18.52%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	46.56%	17.46%	+29.10%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	49.69%	22.23%	+27.46%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	43.39%	23.98%	+19.41%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	40.81%	26.92%	+13.89%

Dividends

NOW vs. MA - Dividend Comparison

NOW has not paid dividends to shareholders, while MA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.66%.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
MA Mastercard Incorporated	0.66%	0.53%	0.50%	0.53%	0.56%	0.49%	0.45%	0.44%	0.53%	0.58%	0.74%	0.66%
NOW ServiceNow, 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%

Financials

NOW vs. MA - Profitability Comparison

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

NOW - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, ServiceNow, Inc reported a gross profit of 2.83B and revenue of 3.77B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 75.1%.

MA - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Mastercard Incorporated reported a gross profit of 4.91B and revenue of 8.40B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 58.4%.

NOW - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, ServiceNow, Inc reported an operating income of 503.00M and revenue of 3.77B, resulting in an operating margin of 13.3%.

MA - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Mastercard Incorporated reported an operating income of 4.91B and revenue of 8.40B, resulting in an operating margin of 58.4%.

NOW - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, ServiceNow, Inc reported a net income of 469.00M and revenue of 3.77B, resulting in a net margin of 12.4%.

MA - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Mastercard Incorporated reported a net income of 3.88B and revenue of 8.40B, resulting in a net margin of 46.2%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both NOW and MA in my portfolio?

NOW and MA have a correlation of 0.33, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, NOW or MA?

NOW has higher volatility (25.06%) compared to MA (6.54%). In terms of maximum drawdown, NOW dropped -64.54% vs MA's -62.67%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

MA currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (-0.71 vs -0.90), 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.