PAYS vs. APLD

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

PAYS (PaySign, Inc.) and APLD (Applied Digital Corporation) are both stocks. PAYS operates in Software - Infrastructure (Technology), while APLD operates in Capital Markets (Financial Services). Over the past 10 years, PAYS returned 42.66%/yr vs 90.24%/yr for APLD. At a 0.05 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

PAYS vs. APLD - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in PaySign, Inc. (PAYS) and Applied Digital Corporation (APLD). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, PAYS achieves a 32.23% return, which is significantly lower than APLD's 82.34% return. Over the past 10 years, PAYS has underperformed APLD with an annualized return of 42.66%, while APLD has yielded a comparatively higher 90.24% annualized return.

PAYS

• 1D: -7.97%
• 1M: -0.58%
• YTD: 32.23%
• 6M: 29.47%
• 1Y: 57.27%
• 3Y*: 38.56%
• 5Y*: 15.73%
• 10Y*: 42.66%

APLD

• 1D: -6.58%
• 1M: 25.48%
• YTD: 82.34%
• 6M: 52.28%
• 1Y: 336.20%
• 3Y*: 69.14%
• 5Y*: 54.74%
• 10Y*: 90.24%

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

PAYS vs. APLD - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
PAYS PaySign, Inc.	32.23%	70.53%	7.86%	8.53%	61.25%	-65.52%	-54.29%	188.35%	382.19%	118.56%
APLD Applied Digital Corporation	82.34%	220.94%	13.35%	266.30%	-92.68%	11,789.90%	389.44%	-34.55%	64.99%	-33.33%

Correlation

The correlation between PAYS and APLD is 0.09, meaning there is essentially no relationship between their price movements. Each responds to its own set of market drivers, making them strong candidates for combining in a diversified portfolio.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.09
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.14
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.15
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.09
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 23, 2008	0.05

The correlation between PAYS and APLD shifts across timeframes, from 0.05 (all time) to 0.15 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Fundamentals

Market Cap PAYS : $415.56M APLD : $12.15B
EPS PAYS : $0.17 APLD : -$0.72
PS Ratio PAYS : 4.51 APLD : 30.30
PB Ratio PAYS : 7.55 APLD : 7.71
Total Revenue (TTM) PAYS : $91.47M APLD : $390.57M
Gross Profit (TTM) PAYS : $46.93M APLD : $124.93M
EBITDA (TTM) PAYS : $22.09M APLD : -$154.66M

Return for Risk

PAYS vs. APLD — Risk / Return Rank

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

PAYS

PAYS Risk / Return Rank: 63
PAYS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 66
PAYS Sortino Ratio Rank: 66
PAYS Omega Ratio Rank: 68
PAYS Calmar Ratio Rank: 60
PAYS Martin Ratio Rank: 57

APLD

APLD Risk / Return Rank: 92
APLD Sharpe Ratio Rank: 94
APLD Sortino Ratio Rank: 91
APLD Omega Ratio Rank: 86
APLD Calmar Ratio Rank: 94
APLD Martin Ratio Rank: 93

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.

PAYS vs. APLD - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for PaySign, Inc. (PAYS) and Applied Digital Corporation (APLD). 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.

	PAYS	APLD	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.79	3.06	-2.27
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.57	3.41	-1.85
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.21	1.38	-0.17
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.92	6.73	-5.82
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	1.55	15.32	-13.77
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

PAYS vs. APLD - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current PAYS Sharpe Ratio is 0.79, which is lower than the APLD Sharpe Ratio of 3.06. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of PAYS and APLD, 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

	PAYS	APLD	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.79	3.06	-2.27
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.23	0.38	-0.15
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.56	0.40	+0.16
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.09	0.05	+0.04

Drawdowns

PAYS vs. APLD - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum PAYS drawdown since its inception was -98.95%, roughly equal to the maximum APLD drawdown of -99.70%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PAYS and APLD.

Drawdown Indicators

	PAYS	APLD	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-98.95%	-99.70%	+0.75%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-62.85%	-50.31%	-12.54%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-64.60%	-76.66%	+12.06%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-65.65%	-97.10%	+31.45%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-93.09%	-97.10%	+4.01%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-62.06%	-9.95%	-52.11%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-69.40%	-83.28%	+13.88%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	37.04%	22.07%	+14.97%

Volatility

PAYS vs. APLD - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for PaySign, Inc. (PAYS) is 23.81%, while Applied Digital Corporation (APLD) has a volatility of 34.53%. This indicates that PAYS experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than APLD based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	PAYS	APLD	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	23.81%	34.53%	-10.72%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	51.41%	79.55%	-28.14%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	72.80%	110.57%	-37.77%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	67.43%	145.02%	-77.59%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	76.22%	295.29%	-219.07%

Dividends

PAYS vs. APLD - Dividend Comparison

Neither PAYS nor APLD has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Financials

PAYS vs. APLD - Profitability Comparison

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

PAYS - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, PaySign, Inc. reported a gross profit of 18.22M and revenue of 28.04M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 65.0%.

APLD - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Applied Digital Corporation reported a gross profit of 82.52M and revenue of 161.76M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 51.0%.

PAYS - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, PaySign, Inc. reported an operating income of 6.67M and revenue of 28.04M, resulting in an operating margin of 23.8%.

APLD - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Applied Digital Corporation reported an operating income of -62.13M and revenue of 161.76M, resulting in an operating margin of -38.4%.

PAYS - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, PaySign, Inc. reported a net income of 5.44M and revenue of 28.04M, resulting in a net margin of 19.4%.

APLD - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Applied Digital Corporation reported a net income of -104.11M and revenue of 161.76M, resulting in a net margin of -64.4%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both PAYS and APLD in my portfolio?

PAYS and APLD have a correlation of 0.09, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, PAYS or APLD?

APLD has higher volatility (34.53%) compared to PAYS (23.81%). In terms of maximum drawdown, PAYS dropped -98.95% vs APLD's -99.70%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

APLD currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (3.06 vs 0.79), 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.