AUID vs IDN vs IDCC vs QLYS

For growth investors, authID Inc.

(AUID) is the stronger pick with 365. 9% revenue growth year-over-year, versus -100. 0% for Intellicheck, Inc. (IDN). Qualys, Inc. (QLYS) offers the better valuation at 17. 5x trailing P/E (12. 9x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Intellicheck, Inc. (IDN) a "Buy" — based on 7 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.

On trailing P/E, Qualys, Inc.

(QLYS) is the cheapest at 17. 5x versus InterDigital, Inc. at 23. 6x. On forward P/E, Qualys, Inc. is actually cheaper at 12. 9x. The PEG ratio (P/E divided by earnings growth rate) is the most growth-adjusted single valuation metric: Qualys, Inc. wins at 0. 66x versus InterDigital, Inc. 's 0. 74x — a PEG below 1. 0 traditionally signals the market is underpricing earnings growth.

Over the past 5 years, InterDigital, Inc.

(IDCC) delivered a total return of +303. 1%, compared to -98. 4% for authID Inc. (AUID). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: IDCC returned +436. 7% versus AUID's -98. 4%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.

By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Intellicheck, Inc.

(IDN) is the lower-risk stock at 0. 41β versus authID Inc. 's 1. 59β — meaning AUID is approximately 286% more volatile than IDN relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, authID Inc. (AUID) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 2% versus 46% for InterDigital, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), authID Inc.

(AUID) is pulling ahead at 365. 9% versus -100. 0% for Intellicheck, Inc. (IDN). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Intellicheck, Inc. grew EPS 100. 0% year-over-year, compared to -2. 2% for InterDigital, Inc.. Over a 3-year CAGR, IDCC leads at 22. 1% annualised revenue growth. Higher growth typically commands a higher valuation multiple — check whether the premium P/E or P/S is justified by the growth rate using the PEG ratio.

InterDigital, Inc.

(IDCC) is the more profitable company, earning 48. 8% net margin versus -1610. 6% for authID Inc. — meaning it keeps 48. 8% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: IDCC leads at 55. 3% versus -1656. 5% for AUID. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — AUID leads at 100. 0%, 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.

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, Qualys, Inc. (QLYS) is the more undervalued stock at a PEG of 0. 66x versus InterDigital, Inc. 's 0. 74x. A PEG below 1. 0 is traditionally considered the threshold for growth-adjusted undervaluation. On forward earnings alone, Qualys, Inc. (QLYS) trades at 12. 9x forward P/E versus 75. 2x for Intellicheck, Inc. — 62. 3x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for IDCC: 52. 5% to $425. 00.

In this comparison, IDCC (0.

6% yield) pays a dividend. AUID, IDN, QLYS do not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.

For long-horizon retirement investors, Intellicheck, Inc.

(IDN) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0. 41), +322. 3% 10Y return). authID Inc. (AUID) carries a higher beta of 1. 59 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (IDN: +322. 3%, AUID: -98. 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.

Both stocks operate in the Technology sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both.

In terms of investment character: AUID is a small-cap high-growth stock; IDN is a small-cap quality compounder stock; IDCC is a small-cap quality compounder stock; QLYS is a small-cap deep-value stock. IDCC pays a dividend while AUID, IDN, QLYS do 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.