Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare BlackLine, Inc. (BL) vs SAP SE (SAP) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | BL | 10.7% revenue growth vs SAP's 3.4% |
| Value | BL | Lower P/E (14.7x vs 27.8x) |
| Quality / Margins | SAP | 19.9% net margin vs BL's 3.5% |
| Stability / Safety | SAP | Beta 0.86 vs BL's 0.97, lower leverage |
| Dividends | SAP | 1.3% yield; 2-year raise streak; BL pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | SAP | -25.8% vs BL's -27.0% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | SAP | 10.4% ROA vs BL's 1.4%, ROIC 16.1% vs 1.4% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
BlackLine is a cloud-based software company that automates accounting and financial close processes for enterprises. It generates revenue primarily through subscription fees for its SaaS platform — which includes financial close management, account reconciliation, and accounts receivable automation modules — with over 90% of revenue coming from recurring subscriptions. The company's competitive moat lies in its deep domain expertise in complex accounting workflows and its established position as a market leader in financial close automation, creating high switching costs for enterprise customers.
SAP is a global enterprise software company that provides business applications, technology platforms, and cloud services for organizations worldwide. It generates revenue primarily through software licenses and cloud subscriptions — with cloud services now representing over 40% of total revenue — along with consulting and support services. The company's key advantage is its deep integration across business functions — from finance to supply chain to HR — creating switching costs and network effects within its large enterprise customer base.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
SAP leads in 4 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). BL leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
SAP is the larger business by revenue, generating $36.7B annually — 52.4x BL's $700M. SAP is the more profitable business, keeping 19.9% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to BL's 3.5%. On growth, BL holds the edge at +8.1% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | BLBlackLine, Inc. | SAPSAP SE |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $700M | $36.7B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $60M | $11.5B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $25M | $7.3B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $153M | $8.4B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +75.2% | +73.3% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +3.6% | +27.0% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +3.5% | +19.9% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +21.9% | +22.9% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +8.1% | +2.3% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -89.9% | +14.7% |
Valuation Metrics
At 24.3x trailing earnings, BL trades at a 15% valuation discount to SAP's 28.5x P/E. On an enterprise value basis, SAP's 17.8x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than BL's 32.6x.
| Metric | BLBlackLine, Inc. | SAPSAP SE |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $2.2B | $234.7B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $2.2B | $234.5B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 24.31x | 28.52x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 14.68x | 27.77x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 4.32x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 32.59x | 17.84x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 3.39x | 5.63x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 5.36x | 4.44x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 11.73x | 25.07x |
Profitability & Efficiency
SAP delivers a 16.2% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $16 in annual profit, vs $7 for BL. SAP carries lower financial leverage with a 0.18x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to BL's 1.90x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), SAP scores 9/9 vs BL's 8/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | BLBlackLine, Inc. | SAPSAP SE |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +6.6% | +16.2% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +1.4% | +10.4% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +1.4% | +16.1% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +1.3% | +18.3% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 8 | 9 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 1.90x | 0.18x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $31M | -$149M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $886M | $8.2B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $917M | $8.1B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 8.79x | 8.94x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in SAP five years ago would be worth $17,166 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $2,763 for BL. Over the past 12 months, SAP leads with a -25.8% total return vs BL's -27.0%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors SAP at 22.4% vs BL's -19.8% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | BLBlackLine, Inc. | SAPSAP SE |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -34.5% | -14.9% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -27.0% | -25.8% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -48.4% | +83.4% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -72.4% | +71.7% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +48.7% | +193.8% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -19.8% | +22.4% |
Risk & Volatility
SAP is the less volatile stock with a 0.86 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than BL's 0.97 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. SAP currently trades 64.3% from its 52-week high vs BL's 59.2% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | BLBlackLine, Inc. | SAPSAP SE |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.97x | 0.86x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $59.57 | $313.28 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $31.75 | $189.22 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +59.2% | +64.3% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 29.6 | 45.3 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 903K | 2.4M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates BL as "Hold" and SAP as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 106.1% upside for SAP (target: $415) vs 51.1% for BL (target: $53). SAP is the only dividend payer here at 1.31% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | BLBlackLine, Inc. | SAPSAP SE |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $53.25 | $415.33 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 25 | 43 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | +1.3% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | 2 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | $2.24 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +0.8% | +0.9% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Mar 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| BlackLine, Inc. (BL) | 100 | 74.61 | -25.4% |
| SAP SE (SAP) | 100 | 163.78 | +63.8% |
SAP SE (SAP) returned +72% over 5 years vs BlackLine, Inc. (BL)'s -72%. A $10,000 investment in SAP 5 years ago would be worth $17,166 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| BlackLine, Inc. (BL) | $123M | $653M | +430.6% |
| SAP SE (SAP) | $22.1B | $35.3B | +60.2% |
SAP SE's revenue grew from $22.1B (2016) to $35.3B (2025) — a 5.4% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| BlackLine, Inc. (BL) | -31.8% | 24.7% | +177.6% |
| SAP SE (SAP) | 16.5% | 19.9% | +20.6% |
SAP SE's net margin went from 17% (2016) to 20% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 9 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAP SE (SAP) | 33.5 | 40.6 | +21.2% |
SAP SE has traded in a 29x–93x P/E range over 9 years; current trailing P/E is ~29x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| BlackLine, Inc. (BL) | -0.92 | 1.45 | +257.6% |
| SAP SE (SAP) | 3.03 | 5.99 | +97.7% |
SAP SE's EPS grew from $3.03 (2016) to $5.99 (2025) — a 8% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
BlackLine, Inc. generated $189M FCF in 2024 (+232% vs 2021). SAP SE generated $8B FCF in 2025 (+44% vs 2021).
BL vs SAP: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is BL or SAP a better buy right now?
BlackLine, Inc. (BL) offers the better valuation at 24.3x trailing P/E (14.7x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate SAP SE (SAP) a "Buy" — based on 43 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which has the better valuation — BL or SAP?
On trailing P/E, BlackLine, Inc. (BL) is the cheapest at 24.3x versus SAP SE at 28.5x. On forward P/E, BlackLine, Inc. is actually cheaper at 14.7x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — BL or SAP?
Over the past 5 years, SAP SE (SAP) delivered a total return of +71.7%, compared to -72.4% for BlackLine, Inc. (BL). A $10,000 investment in SAP five years ago would be worth approximately $17K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: SAP returned +193.8% versus BL's +48.7%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
04Which is safer — BL or SAP?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), SAP SE (SAP) is the lower-risk stock at 0.86β versus BlackLine, Inc.'s 0.97β — meaning BL is approximately 14% more volatile than SAP relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, SAP SE (SAP) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 18% versus 190% for BlackLine, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which has better profit margins — BL or SAP?
BlackLine, Inc. (BL) is the more profitable company, earning 24.7% net margin versus 19.9% for SAP SE — meaning it keeps 24.7% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: SAP leads at 28.0% versus 2.8% for BL. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — BL leads at 75.2%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
06Is BL or SAP more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, BlackLine, Inc. (BL) trades at 14.7x forward P/E versus 27.8x for SAP SE — 13.1x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for SAP: 106.1% to $415.33.
07Which pays a better dividend — BL or SAP?
In this comparison, SAP (1.3% yield) pays a dividend. BL does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
08Is BL or SAP better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, SAP SE (SAP) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.86), 1.3% yield, +193.8% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (SAP: +193.8%, BL: +48.7%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
09What are the main differences between BL and SAP?
Both stocks operate in the Technology sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. SAP pays a dividend while BL does not, making them suitable for different income and tax situations. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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