PCTY vs. ADBE

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Paylocity Holding Corporation (PCTY) and Adobe Inc (ADBE).

Performance

PCTY vs. ADBE - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Paylocity Holding Corporation (PCTY) and Adobe Inc (ADBE). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

PCTY vs. ADBE - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
PCTY Paylocity Holding Corporation	-31.03%	-23.55%	21.00%	-15.14%	-17.74%	14.69%	70.43%	100.66%	27.67%	57.15%
ADBE Adobe Inc	-31.04%	-21.29%	-25.46%	77.28%	-40.65%	13.38%	51.64%	45.78%	29.10%	70.22%

Fundamentals

Market Cap PCTY : $5.82B ADBE : $99.20B
EPS PCTY : $4.27 ADBE : $17.05
PE Ratio PCTY : 24.64 ADBE : 14.16
PEG Ratio PCTY : 0.72 ADBE : 1.00
PS Ratio PCTY : 3.50 ADBE : 4.17
PB Ratio PCTY : 5.30 ADBE : 8.68
Total Revenue (TTM) PCTY : $1.68B ADBE : $24.45B
Gross Profit (TTM) PCTY : $1.16B ADBE : $21.82B
EBITDA (TTM) PCTY : $390.77M ADBE : $9.71B

Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both stocks are quite close, with PCTY having a -31.03% return and ADBE slightly lower at -31.04%. Over the past 10 years, PCTY has outperformed ADBE with an annualized return of 12.33%, while ADBE has yielded a comparatively lower 9.75% annualized return.

PCTY

• 1D: -2.65%
• 1M: -2.43%
• YTD: -31.03%
• 6M: -31.31%
• 1Y: -44.59%
• 3Y*: -19.12%
• 5Y*: -10.59%
• 10Y*: 12.33%

ADBE

• 1D: -0.70%
• 1M: -7.48%
• YTD: -31.04%
• 6M: -29.78%
• 1Y: -37.01%
• 3Y*: -14.44%
• 5Y*: -12.97%
• 10Y*: 9.75%

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

Return for Risk

PCTY vs. ADBE — Risk / Return Rank

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

PCTY

PCTY Risk / Return Rank: 3
PCTY Sharpe Ratio Rank: 1
PCTY Sortino Ratio Rank: 2
PCTY Omega Ratio Rank: 3
PCTY Calmar Ratio Rank: 8
PCTY Martin Ratio Rank: 3

ADBE

ADBE Risk / Return Rank: 5
ADBE Sharpe Ratio Rank: 2
ADBE Sortino Ratio Rank: 4
ADBE Omega Ratio Rank: 5
ADBE Calmar Ratio Rank: 10
ADBE Martin Ratio Rank: 4

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.

PCTY vs. ADBE - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Paylocity Holding Corporation (PCTY) and Adobe Inc (ADBE). 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.

	PCTY	ADBE	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	-1.29	-1.20	-0.09
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	-2.01	-1.69	-0.32
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.76	0.79	-0.03
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.89	-0.84	-0.05
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	-1.77	-1.72	-0.04
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

PCTY vs. ADBE - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current PCTY Sharpe Ratio is -1.29, which is comparable to the ADBE Sharpe Ratio of -1.20. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of PCTY and ADBE, 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

	PCTY	ADBE	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-1.29	-1.20	-0.09
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.27	-0.37	+0.10
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.30	0.29	+0.01
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.30	0.41	-0.11

Correlation

The correlation between PCTY and ADBE is 0.52, 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

PCTY vs. ADBE - Dividend Comparison

Neither PCTY nor ADBE has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Drawdowns

PCTY vs. ADBE - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum PCTY drawdown since its inception was -66.66%, smaller than the maximum ADBE drawdown of -79.89%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PCTY and ADBE.

Drawdown Indicators

	PCTY	ADBE	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-66.66%	-79.89%	+13.23%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-49.29%	-44.18%	-5.11%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-66.66%	-65.88%	-0.78%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-66.66%	-65.88%	-0.78%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-65.60%	-64.94%	-0.66%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-22.00%	-25.80%	+3.80%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	24.79%	21.49%	+3.30%

Volatility

PCTY vs. ADBE - Volatility Comparison

Paylocity Holding Corporation (PCTY) and Adobe Inc (ADBE) have volatilities of 11.56% and 11.21%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations. This suggests that the risk associated with both stocks, as measured by volatility, is nearly the same. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	PCTY	ADBE	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	11.56%	11.21%	+0.35%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	27.78%	23.64%	+4.14%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	34.79%	30.99%	+3.80%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	40.06%	35.52%	+4.54%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	41.68%	33.86%	+7.82%

Financials

PCTY vs. ADBE - Profitability Comparison

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

PCTY - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Paylocity Holding Corporation reported a gross profit of 282.14M and revenue of 416.13M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 67.8%.

ADBE - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Adobe Inc reported a gross profit of 5.73B and revenue of 6.40B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 89.6%.

PCTY - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Paylocity Holding Corporation reported an operating income of 70.38M and revenue of 416.13M, resulting in an operating margin of 16.9%.

ADBE - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Adobe Inc reported an operating income of 2.42B and revenue of 6.40B, resulting in an operating margin of 37.8%.

PCTY - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Paylocity Holding Corporation reported a net income of 50.20M and revenue of 416.13M, resulting in a net margin of 12.1%.

ADBE - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Adobe Inc reported a net income of 1.89B and revenue of 6.40B, resulting in a net margin of 29.5%.