PSO vs. FICO

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

PSO (Pearson plc) and FICO (Fair Isaac Corporation) are both stocks. PSO operates in Publishing (Communication Services), while FICO operates in Software - Application (Technology). Over the past 10 years, PSO returned 5.26%/yr vs 26.40%/yr for FICO. At a 0.28 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

PSO vs. FICO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Pearson plc (PSO) and Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, PSO achieves a 8.78% return, which is significantly higher than FICO's -30.52% return. Over the past 10 years, PSO has underperformed FICO with an annualized return of 5.26%, while FICO has yielded a comparatively higher 26.40% annualized return.

PSO

• 1D: -1.25%
• 1M: 0.74%
• YTD: 8.78%
• 6M: 16.14%
• 1Y: 3.41%
• 3Y*: 16.34%
• 5Y*: 7.09%
• 10Y*: 5.26%

FICO

• 1D: -6.15%
• 1M: 10.82%
• YTD: -30.52%
• 6M: -33.35%
• 1Y: -32.55%
• 3Y*: 14.10%
• 5Y*: 19.09%
• 10Y*: 26.40%

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

PSO vs. FICO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
PSO Pearson plc	8.78%	-11.20%	34.16%	12.00%	37.70%	-6.13%	13.24%	-27.76%	24.26%	4.53%
FICO Fair Isaac Corporation	-30.52%	-15.08%	71.04%	94.46%	38.03%	-15.14%	36.39%	100.36%	22.06%	28.52%

Correlation

The correlation between PSO and FICO is 0.17, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.17
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.23
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.21
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.21
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 5, 2000	0.28

The correlation between PSO and FICO shifts across timeframes, from 0.17 (1 year) to 0.28 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Fundamentals

Market Cap PSO : $9.76B FICO : $27.90B
EPS PSO : $1.16 FICO : $31.51
PE Ratio PSO : 12.91 FICO : 37.28
PEG Ratio PSO : 0.50 FICO : 1.98
PS Ratio PSO : 1.39 FICO : 12.55
Total Revenue (TTM) PSO : $7.12B FICO : $2.26B
Gross Profit (TTM) PSO : $3.66B FICO : $1.90B
EBITDA (TTM) PSO : $2.01B FICO : $1.16B

Return for Risk

PSO vs. FICO — Risk / Return Rank

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

PSO

PSO Risk / Return Rank: 42
PSO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 46
PSO Sortino Ratio Rank: 38
PSO Omega Ratio Rank: 39
PSO Calmar Ratio Rank: 44
PSO Martin Ratio Rank: 45

FICO

FICO Risk / Return Rank: 15
FICO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 13
FICO Sortino Ratio Rank: 15
FICO Omega Ratio Rank: 15
FICO Calmar Ratio Rank: 18
FICO Martin Ratio Rank: 13

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.

PSO vs. FICO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Pearson plc (PSO) and Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO). 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.

	PSO	FICO	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.15	-0.65	+0.80
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.34	-0.72	+1.06
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.05	0.90	+0.15
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.17	-0.63	+0.80
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	0.38	-1.22	+1.59
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

PSO vs. FICO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current PSO Sharpe Ratio is 0.15, which is higher than the FICO Sharpe Ratio of -0.65. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of PSO and FICO, 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

	PSO	FICO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.15	-0.65	+0.80
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.25	0.47	-0.22
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.16	0.70	-0.53
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.03	0.49	-0.46

Drawdowns

PSO vs. FICO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum PSO drawdown since its inception was -74.78%, smaller than the maximum FICO drawdown of -79.26%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PSO and FICO.

Drawdown Indicators

	PSO	FICO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-74.78%	-79.26%	+4.48%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-20.12%	-52.12%	+32.00%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-30.73%	-61.28%	+30.55%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-36.13%	-61.28%	+25.15%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-58.32%	-61.28%	+2.96%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-12.28%	-50.69%	+38.41%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-36.57%	-18.00%	-18.57%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	9.10%	26.72%	-17.62%

Volatility

PSO vs. FICO - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Pearson plc (PSO) is 6.96%, while Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO) has a volatility of 14.02%. This indicates that PSO experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than FICO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	PSO	FICO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.96%	14.02%	-7.06%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	19.13%	38.62%	-19.49%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	24.37%	50.22%	-25.85%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	28.43%	40.63%	-12.20%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	32.13%	38.02%	-5.89%

Dividends

PSO vs. FICO - Dividend Comparison

PSO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.16%, while FICO has not paid dividends to shareholders.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
FICO Fair Isaac Corporation	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.01%	0.07%	0.08%
PSO Pearson plc	2.16%	2.12%	1.82%	2.21%	2.40%	3.27%	2.74%	2.90%	1.96%	5.14%	7.28%	7.48%

Financials

PSO vs. FICO - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Pearson plc and Fair Isaac Corporation over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

PSO - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Pearson plc reported a gross profit of 974.95M and revenue of 1.84B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 52.9%.

FICO - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Fair Isaac Corporation reported a gross profit of 600.48M and revenue of 691.68M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 86.8%.

PSO - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Pearson plc reported an operating income of 273.30M and revenue of 1.84B, resulting in an operating margin of 14.8%.

FICO - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Fair Isaac Corporation reported an operating income of 402.47M and revenue of 691.68M, resulting in an operating margin of 58.2%.

PSO - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Pearson plc reported a net income of 169.95M and revenue of 1.84B, resulting in a net margin of 9.2%.

FICO - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Fair Isaac Corporation reported a net income of 264.46M and revenue of 691.68M, resulting in a net margin of 38.2%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both PSO and FICO in my portfolio?

PSO and FICO have a correlation of 0.17, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, PSO or FICO?

FICO has higher volatility (14.02%) compared to PSO (6.96%). In terms of maximum drawdown, PSO dropped -74.78% vs FICO's -79.26%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

PSO currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.15 vs -0.65), 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.