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adidas vs Zalando: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

adidas holds the cleaner structural position, with profitability as the main driver and stability adding further support. Zalando SE does not offset that deficit through any equally strong structural edge elsewhere. Both sides have seen trend damage — neither carries a clear market edge right now. With both trends damaged, the structural comparison carries most of the weight here.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels. Both peer scores are relative to the HDAX universe, making them directly comparable.

Updated 2026-05-17

The clearest separation starts in profitability, but stability adds another real layer to the result. adidas AG leads by 20 points on the overall comparison score.

Trajectory Similarity
0.78
Similar
Peer-set rank: #19
within adidas AG's functional peer set

This pair is matched through long-term financial trajectory similarity within the selected peer universe.

A solid similarity means the pair shares a clearly comparable long-term financial profile, even if individual dimensions still differ.

The strongest overlap appears in investment intensity and margin consistency.

Similarity drivers
investment intensitymargin consistency
How to read the score
0.85–1.00 · Very similar0.70–0.84 · Similar0.55–0.69 · Moderately similarbelow 0.55 · Loose match
Peer-Relative Score
ADS.DE
adidas AG
62
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: HDAX
vs
ZAL.DE
Zalando SE
42
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: HDAX

Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.

Score differences across key dimensions.

Dimension spread: ADS.DE vs ZAL.DE Profitability 61 25 Stability 47 27 Valuation 63 55 Growth 78 63 ADS.DE ZAL.DE
Gap Ranking
#1 Profitability +36
#2 Stability +20
#3 Growth +15
#4 Valuation +8
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for ADS.DE and ZAL.DE Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer ADS.DEZAL.DE Relative valuation Structural strength

adidas AG looks stronger on relative valuation, while the broader price setup remains mixed.

Valuation position uses peer-relative PE percentile (idx_pct_pe) where available.

Entry today — historical context

Where ADS.DE and ZAL.DE each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY ADS.DE Lower · below norm 0th 50th 100th 12 pct gap ZAL.DE Lower · below norm 0th 50th 100th 15th 3rd
ADS.DE (15th percentile) and ZAL.DE (3rd percentile) both sit in the lower portion of their own 5-year ranges. The historical entry context is broadly similar for both. This reflects entry timing, not which company is structurally stronger.

Describes historical entry positioning only. Descriptive — not investment advice.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Profitability
On profitability, adidas AG is positioned higher in the group, while Zalando SE is closer to the middle.
Stability
adidas AG holds the stronger peer position on stability.
Profitability — Dominant Gap
ADS.DE
61
ZAL.DE
25
Gap+36in favour of ADS.DE

The profitability lead is mainly driven by a 13.4-point operating margin advantage.

What else supports the lead

Stability adds another layer of support rather than leaving the result tied to profitability alone.

What this means for the comparison

Profitability is the clearest driver, and stability also supports adidas AG's broader structural position.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the ADS.DE vs ZAL.DE comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

Explore full breakdown →
Similar profitability-and-stability comparisons

Explore how ADS.DE and ZAL.DE each compare against other companies in their peer groups.

Rule-based, descriptive analysis only. Derived from peer percentile dimensions. Not investment advice. Peer groups are determined algorithmically based on structural similarity — not by sector classification alone.

How AssetNext Peer Scores Work

AssetNext scores reflect each company's structural position within its functional peer group — not a ranking against all stocks simultaneously. Peers are identified by similarity across eight financial dimensions, including revenue growth trajectory, margin structure, capital intensity, and earnings stability. A score of 75 means the company ranks in the top quartile within its own peer group, not the entire market.

Four dimension scores drive the overall peer score: Growth (revenue trajectory and expansion dynamics), Quality (margin structure and capital efficiency), Valuation (peer-relative pricing on standard multiples), and Stability (earnings consistency and financial predictability). Each dimension is scored 0–100 relative to the peer group, then combined into an overall peer score using equal weighting.

Because scores are peer-relative, the same company can have slightly different scores in different index universes. On comparison pages, both companies are shown within their shared peer universe wherever possible — so the scores are directly comparable. The peer basis is stated on each score card.

Scores are recalculated periodically as underlying financial data is updated. All analysis is descriptive and rule-based — AssetNext describes structural realities and never issues buy, sell or hold recommendations.