Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Kingsoft Cloud Holdings Limited (KC) 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 | KC | 10.5% revenue growth vs SAP's 3.4% |
| Quality / Margins | SAP | 19.9% net margin vs KC's -10.8% |
| Stability / Safety | SAP | Beta 0.86 vs KC's 1.61, lower leverage |
| Dividends | SAP | 1.3% yield; 2-year raise streak; KC pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | KC | -17.5% vs SAP's -25.8% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | SAP | 10.4% ROA vs KC's -3.8%, ROIC 16.1% vs -17.7% |
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
Kingsoft Cloud is a Chinese cloud service provider offering public cloud infrastructure and enterprise cloud solutions to businesses across various industries. It generates revenue primarily from public cloud services — including computing, storage, and content delivery — and enterprise cloud services for specific verticals like finance and healthcare. Its competitive advantage stems from its integration with the broader Kingsoft ecosystem — including gaming and office software — which creates cross-selling opportunities and customer stickiness.
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 2 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). KC leads in 2 (Valuation Metrics, Total Returns). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
SAP is the larger business by revenue, generating $36.7B annually — 4.1x KC's $9.0B. SAP is the more profitable business, keeping 19.9% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to KC's -10.8%. On growth, KC holds the edge at +33.7% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | KCKingsoft Cloud Ho… | SAPSAP SE |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $9.0B | $36.7B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $1.3B | $11.5B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$971M | $7.3B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$343M | $8.4B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +16.2% | +73.3% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -8.3% | +27.0% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -10.8% | +19.9% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -3.8% | +22.9% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +33.7% | +2.3% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +99.6% | +14.7% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | KCKingsoft Cloud Ho… | SAPSAP SE |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $49.7B | $234.7B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $50.1B | $234.5B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -11.42x | 28.52x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 27.77x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 4.32x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | 17.84x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 43.80x | 5.63x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 4.12x | 4.44x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | 25.07x |
Profitability & Efficiency
SAP delivers a 16.2% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $16 in annual profit, vs $-14 for KC. SAP carries lower financial leverage with a 0.18x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to KC's 0.94x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), SAP scores 9/9 vs KC's 4/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | KCKingsoft Cloud Ho… | SAPSAP SE |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -13.7% | +16.2% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -3.8% | +10.4% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -17.7% | +16.1% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -20.9% | +18.3% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 4 | 9 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.94x | 0.18x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $2.5B | -$149M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $2.6B | $8.2B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $5.2B | $8.1B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -1.40x | 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 $2,210 for KC. Over the past 12 months, KC leads with a -17.5% total return vs SAP's -25.8%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors KC at 51.8% vs SAP's 22.4% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | KCKingsoft Cloud Ho… | SAPSAP SE |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +23.3% | -14.9% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -17.5% | -25.8% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +250.1% | +83.4% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -77.9% | +71.7% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -43.5% | +193.8% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +51.8% | +22.4% |
Risk & Volatility
SAP is the less volatile stock with a 0.86 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than KC's 1.61 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. KC currently trades 68.9% from its 52-week high vs SAP's 64.3% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | KCKingsoft Cloud Ho… | SAPSAP SE |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.61x | 0.86x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $19.57 | $313.28 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $10.29 | $189.22 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +68.9% | +64.3% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 45.8 | 45.3 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 1.1M | 2.4M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates KC as "Buy" and SAP as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 106.1% upside for SAP (target: $415) vs 35.8% for KC (target: $18). SAP is the only dividend payer here at 1.31% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | KCKingsoft Cloud Ho… | SAPSAP SE |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $18.30 | $415.33 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 10 | 43 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | +1.3% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | 2 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | $2.24 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | +0.9% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | May 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kingsoft Cloud Hold… (KC) | 100 | 57.17 | -42.8% |
| SAP SE (SAP) | 100 | 161.26 | +61.3% |
SAP SE (SAP) returned +72% over 5 years vs Kingsoft Cloud Hold… (KC)'s -78%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kingsoft Cloud Hold… (KC) | $2.3B | $7.8B | +237.8% |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kingsoft Cloud Hold… (KC) | -45.4% | -25.3% | +44.3% |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kingsoft Cloud Hold… (KC) | -33.23 | -8.1 | +75.6% |
| 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
Kingsoft Cloud Holdings Limited generated $-3B FCF in 2024 (-112% vs 2021). SAP SE generated $8B FCF in 2025 (+44% vs 2021).
KC vs SAP: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is KC or SAP a better buy right now?
SAP SE (SAP) offers the better valuation at 28.5x trailing P/E (27.8x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Kingsoft Cloud Holdings Limited (KC) a "Buy" — based on 10 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 is the better long-term investment — KC or SAP?
Over the past 5 years, SAP SE (SAP) delivered a total return of +71.7%, compared to -77.9% for Kingsoft Cloud Holdings Limited (KC). 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 KC's -43.5%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
03Which is safer — KC or SAP?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), SAP SE (SAP) is the lower-risk stock at 0.86β versus Kingsoft Cloud Holdings Limited's 1.61β — meaning KC is approximately 88% 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 94% for Kingsoft Cloud Holdings Limited — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — KC or SAP?
SAP SE (SAP) is the more profitable company, earning 19.9% net margin versus -25.3% for Kingsoft Cloud Holdings Limited — meaning it keeps 19.9% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: SAP leads at 28.0% versus -22.3% for KC. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — SAP leads at 73.5%, 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.
05Is KC or SAP more undervalued right now?
Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for SAP: 106.1% to $415.33.
06Which pays a better dividend — KC or SAP?
In this comparison, SAP (1.3% yield) pays a dividend. KC does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
07Is KC 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). Kingsoft Cloud Holdings Limited (KC) carries a higher beta of 1.61 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (SAP: +193.8%, KC: -43.5%), 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.
08What are the main differences between KC 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 KC 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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