PAYC vs. MA

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Paycom Software, Inc. (PAYC) and Mastercard Inc (MA).

Performance

PAYC vs. MA - Performance Comparison

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

PAYC vs. MA - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
PAYC Paycom Software, Inc.	-23.52%	-21.70%	-0.04%	-33.06%	-25.26%	-8.19%	70.82%	116.22%	52.43%	76.59%
MA Mastercard Inc	-12.34%	9.04%	24.17%	23.40%	-2.66%	1.16%	20.19%	59.16%	25.31%	47.69%

Fundamentals

Market Cap PAYC : $6.70B MA : $448.69B
EPS PAYC : $8.11 MA : $16.56
PE Ratio PAYC : 14.99 MA : 30.18
PEG Ratio PAYC : 0.56 MA : 1.39
PS Ratio PAYC : 3.31 MA : 13.77
PB Ratio PAYC : 3.87 MA : 57.93
Total Revenue (TTM) PAYC : $2.05B MA : $32.79B
Gross Profit (TTM) PAYC : $1.71B MA : $27.36B
EBITDA (TTM) PAYC : $771.90M MA : $20.19B

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, PAYC achieves a -23.52% return, which is significantly lower than MA's -12.34% return. Over the past 10 years, PAYC has underperformed MA with an annualized return of 13.38%, while MA has yielded a comparatively higher 18.66% annualized return.

PAYC

• 1D: 0.47%
• 1M: -3.15%
• YTD: -23.52%
• 6M: -41.31%
• 1Y: -43.92%
• 3Y*: -25.77%
• 5Y*: -19.89%
• 10Y*: 13.38%

MA

• 1D: 1.15%
• 1M: -3.39%
• YTD: -12.34%
• 6M: -11.91%
• 1Y: -8.31%
• 3Y*: 11.85%
• 5Y*: 7.19%
• 10Y*: 18.66%

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

Return for Risk

PAYC vs. MA — Risk / Return Rank

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

PAYC

PAYC Risk / Return Rank: 8
PAYC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 2
PAYC Sortino Ratio Rank: 4
PAYC Omega Ratio Rank: 5
PAYC Calmar Ratio Rank: 14
PAYC Martin Ratio Rank: 13

MA

MA Risk / Return Rank: 26
MA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 26
MA Sortino Ratio Rank: 23
MA Omega Ratio Rank: 23
MA Calmar Ratio Rank: 31
MA Martin Ratio Rank: 27

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.

PAYC vs. MA - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Paycom Software, Inc. (PAYC) and Mastercard Inc (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.

	PAYC	MA	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	-1.15	-0.35	-0.81
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	-1.76	-0.32	-1.44
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.79	0.96	-0.17
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.77	-0.37	-0.40
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	-1.42	-0.91	-0.51
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

PAYC vs. MA - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current PAYC Sharpe Ratio is -1.15, which is lower than the MA Sharpe Ratio of -0.35. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of PAYC and MA, 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

	PAYC	MA	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-1.15	-0.35	-0.81
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.45	0.30	-0.76
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.30	0.70	-0.40
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.42	0.84	-0.42

Correlation

The correlation between PAYC and MA is 0.46, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

PAYC vs. MA - Dividend Comparison

PAYC's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.23%, more than MA's 0.63% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
PAYC Paycom Software, Inc.	1.23%	0.94%	0.73%	0.54%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
MA Mastercard Inc	0.63%	0.53%	0.50%	0.53%	0.56%	0.49%	0.45%	0.44%	0.53%	0.58%	0.74%	0.66%

Drawdowns

PAYC vs. MA - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum PAYC drawdown since its inception was -78.90%, which is greater than MA's maximum drawdown of -62.67%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PAYC and MA.

Drawdown Indicators

	PAYC	MA	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-78.90%	-62.67%	-16.23%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-56.77%	-18.92%	-37.85%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-78.90%	-28.25%	-50.65%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-78.90%	-41.00%	-37.90%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-77.52%	-16.34%	-61.18%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-26.16%	-9.76%	-16.40%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	30.92%	7.71%	+23.21%

Volatility

PAYC vs. MA - Volatility Comparison

Paycom Software, Inc. (PAYC) has a higher volatility of 12.06% compared to Mastercard Inc (MA) at 6.83%. This indicates that PAYC'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

	PAYC	MA	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	12.06%	6.83%	+5.23%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	27.83%	16.10%	+11.73%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	38.24%	24.21%	+14.03%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	44.12%	23.87%	+20.25%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	44.32%	26.79%	+17.53%

Financials

PAYC vs. MA - Profitability Comparison

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

PAYC - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Paycom Software, Inc. reported a gross profit of 480.00M and revenue of 544.30M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 88.2%.

MA - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Mastercard Inc reported a gross profit of 8.81B and revenue of 8.81B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 100.0%.

PAYC - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Paycom Software, Inc. reported an operating income of 157.20M and revenue of 544.30M, resulting in an operating margin of 28.9%.

MA - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Mastercard Inc reported an operating income of 4.91B and revenue of 8.81B, resulting in an operating margin of 55.8%.

PAYC - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Paycom Software, Inc. reported a net income of 113.80M and revenue of 544.30M, resulting in a net margin of 20.9%.

MA - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Mastercard Inc reported a net income of 4.06B and revenue of 8.81B, resulting in a net margin of 46.1%.