Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Gen Digital Inc. (GEN) vs Oracle Corporation (ORCL) 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 | ORCL | 8.4% revenue growth vs GEN's 3.6% |
| Value | GEN | Lower P/E (8.9x vs 19.7x) |
| Quality / Margins | ORCL | 25.3% net margin vs GEN's 12.8% |
| Stability / Safety | GEN | Beta 0.96 vs ORCL's 1.40, lower leverage |
| Dividends | GEN | 2.2% yield, vs ORCL's 1.1% |
| Momentum (1Y) | ORCL | -11.2% vs GEN's -15.6% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | ORCL | 7.5% ROA vs GEN's 3.8%, ROIC 12.8% vs 12.4% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Valuation efficiency (growth/$)
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Gen Digital is a consumer cybersecurity company that provides antivirus, identity theft protection, and online privacy solutions through brands like Norton and LifeLock. It generates revenue primarily from subscription services — with consumer cybersecurity subscriptions accounting for over 90% of sales — while also offering some direct-to-consumer hardware products. The company benefits from strong brand recognition in consumer security, cross-selling opportunities across its portfolio, and network effects as its threat intelligence improves with more users.
Oracle is a global enterprise software and cloud computing company that provides database management systems, enterprise applications, and cloud infrastructure services. It generates revenue primarily through cloud services and license support (~70% of total revenue) and cloud license and on-premise license sales (~20%), with hardware and services making up the remainder. The company's key moat is its entrenched position in enterprise database software—particularly with its flagship Oracle Database—which creates significant switching costs and lock-in for large corporate customers.
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
GEN leads in 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Valuation Metrics). ORCL leads in 2 (Profitability & Efficiency, Total Returns). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
ORCL is the larger business by revenue, generating $61.0B annually — 12.9x GEN's $4.7B. ORCL is the more profitable business, keeping 25.3% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to GEN's 12.8%. On growth, GEN holds the edge at +25.8% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | GENGen Digital Inc. | ORCLOracle Corporation |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $4.7B | $61.0B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $2.2B | $22.6B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $603M | $15.4B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $1.5B | -$13.2B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +77.7% | +70.7% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +36.9% | +30.3% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +12.8% | +25.3% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +32.1% | -21.6% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +25.8% | +14.2% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +19.2% | +90.9% |
Valuation Metrics
At 21.9x trailing earnings, GEN trades at a 35% valuation discount to ORCL's 33.5x P/E. Adjusting for growth (PEG ratio), ORCL offers better value at 4.72x vs GEN's 8.01x — a lower PEG means you pay less per unit of expected earnings growth.
| Metric | GENGen Digital Inc. | ORCLOracle Corporation |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $13.9B | $408.1B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $21.2B | $501.5B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 21.91x | 33.50x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 8.86x | 19.71x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | 8.01x | 4.72x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 10.47x | 21.02x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 3.54x | 7.11x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 6.21x | 19.87x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 11.55x | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
ORCL delivers a 50.6% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $51 in annual profit, vs $26 for GEN. GEN carries lower financial leverage with a 3.66x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to ORCL's 4.96x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), GEN scores 8/9 vs ORCL's 6/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | GENGen Digital Inc. | ORCLOracle Corporation |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +25.9% | +50.6% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +3.8% | +7.5% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +12.4% | +12.8% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +12.5% | +14.4% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 8 | 6 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 3.66x | 4.96x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $7.3B | $93.3B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $1.0B | $10.8B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $8.3B | $104.1B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 2.97x | 3.24x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in ORCL five years ago would be worth $23,146 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $12,752 for GEN. Over the past 12 months, ORCL leads with a -11.2% total return vs GEN's -15.6%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors ORCL at 19.9% vs GEN's 7.3% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | GENGen Digital Inc. | ORCLOracle Corporation |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -12.9% | -25.5% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -15.6% | -11.2% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +23.4% | +72.3% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +27.5% | +131.5% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +122.0% | +327.4% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +7.3% | +19.9% |
Risk & Volatility
GEN is the less volatile stock with a 0.96 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than ORCL's 1.40 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. GEN currently trades 70.0% from its 52-week high vs ORCL's 42.1% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | GENGen Digital Inc. | ORCLOracle Corporation |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.96x | 1.40x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $32.22 | $345.72 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $21.33 | $118.86 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +70.0% | +42.1% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 42.3 | 41.2 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 4.7M | 20.9M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates GEN as "Buy" and ORCL as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 103.5% upside for ORCL (target: $296) vs 40.3% for GEN (target: $32). For income investors, GEN offers the higher dividend yield at 2.22% vs ORCL's 1.14%.
| Metric | GENGen Digital Inc. | ORCLOracle Corporation |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $31.67 | $295.85 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 21 | 86 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +2.2% | +1.1% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 0 | 18 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $0.50 | $1.65 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +2.0% | +0.4% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gen Digital Inc. (GEN) | 100 | 119.37 | +19.4% |
| Oracle Corporation (ORCL) | 100 | 314.46 | +214.5% |
Oracle Corporation (ORCL) returned +131% over 5 years vs Gen Digital Inc. (GEN)'s +28%. A $10,000 investment in ORCL 5 years ago would be worth $23,146 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gen Digital Inc. (GEN) | $3.6B | $3.9B | +9.3% |
| Oracle Corporation (ORCL) | $37.0B | $57.4B | +54.9% |
Gen Digital Inc.'s revenue grew from $3.6B (2016) to $3.9B (2025) — a 1.0% CAGR. Oracle Corporation's revenue grew from $37.0B (2016) to $57.4B (2025) — a 5.0% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gen Digital Inc. (GEN) | 69.1% | 16.3% | -76.4% |
| Oracle Corporation (ORCL) | 24.0% | 21.7% | -9.8% |
Gen Digital Inc.'s net margin went from 69% (2016) to 16% (2025). Oracle Corporation's net margin went from 24% (2016) to 22% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 9 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gen Digital Inc. (GEN) | 10.9 | 26.4 | +142.2% |
| Oracle Corporation (ORCL) | 21.4 | 44.9 | +109.8% |
Gen Digital Inc. has traded in a 11x–29x P/E range over 7 years; current trailing P/E is ~22x. Oracle Corporation has traded in a 18x–53x P/E range over 9 years; current trailing P/E is ~34x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gen Digital Inc. (GEN) | 3.71 | 1.03 | -72.2% |
| Oracle Corporation (ORCL) | 2.07 | 4.34 | +109.7% |
Gen Digital Inc.'s EPS grew from $3.71 (2016) to $1.03 (2025) — a -13% CAGR. Oracle Corporation's EPS grew from $2.07 (2016) to $4.34 (2025) — a 9% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Gen Digital Inc. generated $1B FCF in 2025 (+72% vs 2021). Oracle Corporation generated $-394M FCF in 2025 (-103% vs 2021).
GEN vs ORCL: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is GEN or ORCL a better buy right now?
Gen Digital Inc. (GEN) offers the better valuation at 21.9x trailing P/E (8.9x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Gen Digital Inc. (GEN) a "Buy" — based on 21 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 — GEN or ORCL?
On trailing P/E, Gen Digital Inc. (GEN) is the cheapest at 21.9x versus Oracle Corporation at 33.5x. On forward P/E, Gen Digital Inc. is actually cheaper at 8.9x. The PEG ratio (P/E divided by earnings growth rate) is the most growth-adjusted single valuation metric: Oracle Corporation wins at 2.78x versus Gen Digital Inc.'s 3.24x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — GEN or ORCL?
Over the past 5 years, Oracle Corporation (ORCL) delivered a total return of +131.5%, compared to +27.5% for Gen Digital Inc. (GEN). A $10,000 investment in ORCL five years ago would be worth approximately $23K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: ORCL returned +327.4% versus GEN's +122.0%. 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 — GEN or ORCL?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Gen Digital Inc. (GEN) is the lower-risk stock at 0.96β versus Oracle Corporation's 1.40β — meaning ORCL is approximately 46% more volatile than GEN relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Gen Digital Inc. (GEN) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 4% versus 5% for Oracle Corporation — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which has better profit margins — GEN or ORCL?
Oracle Corporation (ORCL) is the more profitable company, earning 21.7% net margin versus 16.3% for Gen Digital Inc. — meaning it keeps 21.7% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: GEN leads at 40.9% versus 30.8% for ORCL. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — GEN leads at 80.3%, 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 GEN or ORCL more undervalued right now?
The PEG ratio (forward P/E divided by expected earnings growth rate) is the most precise measure of undervaluation relative to growth potential. By this metric, Oracle Corporation (ORCL) is the more undervalued stock at a PEG of 2.78x versus Gen Digital Inc.'s 3.24x. Both stocks trade at elevated growth-adjusted valuations, so expected growth needs to materialise. On forward earnings alone, Gen Digital Inc. (GEN) trades at 8.9x forward P/E versus 19.7x for Oracle Corporation — 10.9x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for ORCL: 103.5% to $295.85.
07Which pays a better dividend — GEN or ORCL?
All stocks in this comparison pay dividends. Gen Digital Inc. (GEN) offers the highest yield at 2.2%, versus 1.1% for Oracle Corporation (ORCL).
08Is GEN or ORCL better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Gen Digital Inc. (GEN) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.96), 2.2% yield, +122.0% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (GEN: +122.0%, ORCL: +327.4%), 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 GEN and ORCL?
Both stocks operate in the Technology sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. 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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