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Stock Comparison · Industry comparison · Software - Application

Fair Isaac vs Paychex: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

Fair Isaac holds the cleaner structural position, with the lead spread across profitability and growth. Paychex still leads on valuation and stability, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. 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 S&P 500 universe, making them directly comparable.

Updated 2026-08-16

The clearest separation starts in profitability, with growth adding a second layer of support. Fair Isaac Corporation leads by 13 points on the overall comparison score.

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Software - Application

This comparison is based on industry proximity, not on functional trajectory similarity. FICO and PAYX share the same industry classification.

For a similarity-based comparison, see how Fair Isaac and Paychex each position within their functional peer groups in AssetNext.

Peer-Relative Score
FICO
Fair Isaac Corporation
69
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500
vs
PAYX
Paychex, Inc.
56
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500

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

Score differences across key dimensions.

Dimension spread: FICO vs PAYX Profitability 82 37 Stability 45 59 Valuation 60 70 Growth 84 58 FICO PAYX
Gap Ranking
#1 Profitability +45
#2 Growth +26
#3 Stability +14
#4 Valuation +10
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for FICO and PAYX Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer FICOPAYX Relative valuation Structural strength

Fair Isaac Corporation still looks stronger overall, though current pricing looks more supportive for Paychex, Inc..

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

Entry today — historical context

Where FICO and PAYX each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY FICO Neutral · below norm 0th 50th 100th 30 pct gap PAYX Elevated · near norm 0th 50th 100th 48th 78th
Today FICO sits in the lower-middle of its own 5-year history (48th percentile), while PAYX sits higher in its own history (78th). Within each stock's own 5-year context, FICO is at a historically more favourable entry position than PAYX. This reflects entry timing, not which company is structurally stronger — peer-relative analysis is a separate question addressed above.

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

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Profitability
On profitability, Fair Isaac Corporation ranks near the top of the group; Paychex, Inc. sits in the weaker half.
Growth
On growth, the edge is clear — both rank well, but Fair Isaac Corporation sits noticeably higher.
Profitability — Dominant Gap
FICO
82
PAYX
37
Gap+45in favour of FICO

The profitability lead is mainly driven by a 15.5-point operating margin advantage.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Paychex, Inc. still shows lower market-fundamental divergence, which keeps the wider picture mixed rather than completely one-sided.

What this means for the comparison

The lead is built on both profitability and growth — though valuation still provides a counterweight.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the FICO vs PAYX comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

Explore full breakdown →
Similar profitability-and-growth comparisons

Explore how FICO and PAYX 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.