Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Cognyte Software Ltd. (CGNT) vs Samsara Inc. (IOT) 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 | IOT | 33.3% revenue growth vs CGNT's 11.9% |
| Value | CGNT | Lower P/E (29.6x vs 57.0x) |
| Quality / Margins | CGNT | -1.2% net margin vs IOT's -2.8% |
| Stability / Safety | CGNT | Beta 0.93 vs IOT's 1.49 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | CGNT | -20.6% vs IOT's -39.4% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | CGNT | -0.9% ROA vs IOT's -1.8%, ROIC -2.5% vs -15.8% |
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
Cognyte Software provides investigative analytics software to government agencies and enterprises for security and intelligence operations. It generates revenue primarily through software licenses and subscriptions — with government contracts forming the bulk of its business — supplemented by professional services like implementation and support. The company's competitive advantage lies in its specialized, open-architecture platform that integrates diverse data sources for complex investigations, creating high switching costs for security-focused customers.
Samsara is a technology company that provides an IoT platform connecting physical operations data to its Connected Operations Cloud. It generates revenue primarily through subscription fees for its cloud platform — which includes video-based safety, vehicle telematics, equipment monitoring, and site visibility applications — with over 90% of revenue coming from subscriptions. The company's competitive advantage lies in its integrated hardware-software ecosystem that creates high switching costs and network effects as customers deploy more devices across their operations.
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
CGNT leads in 3 of 6 categories — strongest in Valuation Metrics and Profitability & Efficiency. 2 categories are tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
IOT is the larger business by revenue, generating $1.5B annually — 4.0x CGNT's $377M. Profitability is closely matched — net margins range from -1.2% (CGNT) to -2.8% (IOT). On growth, IOT holds the edge at +29.2% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | CGNTCognyte Software … | IOTSamsara Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $377M | $1.5B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $16M | -$37M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$5M | -$42M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $11M | $194M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +70.9% | +76.9% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +0.9% | -5.2% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -1.2% | -2.8% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +3.0% | +12.8% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +15.5% | +29.2% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +173.6% | -90.3% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | CGNTCognyte Software … | IOTSamsara Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $511M | $7.8B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $434M | $7.7B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -41.71x | -103.21x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 29.64x | 57.00x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 50.87x | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 1.46x | 6.24x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 2.34x | 15.04x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 15.21x | 69.96x |
Profitability & Efficiency
CGNT delivers a -2.0% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $-2 in annual profit, vs $-3 for IOT. IOT carries lower financial leverage with a 0.08x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to CGNT's 0.16x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), IOT scores 7/9 vs CGNT's 5/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | CGNTCognyte Software … | IOTSamsara Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -2.0% | -3.2% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -0.9% | -1.8% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -2.5% | -15.8% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -1.8% | -15.8% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 5 | 7 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.16x | 0.08x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$77M | -$147M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $113M | $228M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $36M | $80M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 21.71x | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in IOT five years ago would be worth $11,700 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $2,302 for CGNT. Over the past 12 months, CGNT leads with a -20.6% total return vs IOT's -39.4%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors CGNT at 24.2% vs IOT's 20.2% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | CGNTCognyte Software … | IOTSamsara Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -20.3% | -14.8% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -20.6% | -39.4% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +91.6% | +73.5% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -77.0% | +17.0% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -74.7% | +17.0% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +24.2% | +20.2% |
Risk & Volatility
CGNT is the less volatile stock with a 0.93 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than IOT's 1.49 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500.
| Metric | CGNTCognyte Software … | IOTSamsara Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.93x | 1.49x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $11.66 | $48.66 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $6.29 | $23.38 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +60.8% | +59.4% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 39.5 | 52.1 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 289K | 6.4M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates CGNT as "Hold" and IOT as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 97.5% upside for CGNT (target: $14) vs 57.2% for IOT (target: $45).
| Metric | CGNTCognyte Software … | IOTSamsara Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $14.00 | $45.42 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 5 | 17 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 0 | — |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +1.0% | 0.0% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Jan 22 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cognyte Software Lt… (CGNT) | 100 | 59.19 | -40.8% |
| Samsara Inc. (IOT) | 108.38 | 106.92 | -1.3% |
Samsara Inc. (IOT) returned +17% over 5 years vs Cognyte Software Lt… (CGNT)'s -77%. A $10,000 investment in IOT 5 years ago would be worth $11,700 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2014 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cognyte Software Lt… (CGNT) | $17M | $351M | +1949.5% |
| Samsara Inc. (IOT) | $120M | $1.2B | +942.2% |
Cognyte Software Ltd.'s revenue grew from $17M (2014) to $351M (2025) — a 31.6% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2014 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cognyte Software Lt… (CGNT) | -45.1% | -3.4% | +92.4% |
| Samsara Inc. (IOT) | -187.9% | -12.4% | +93.4% |
Cognyte Software Ltd.'s net margin went from -45% (2014) to -3% (2025).
Chart 4EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2014 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cognyte Software Lt… (CGNT) | -0.17 | -0.17 | +0.0% |
| Samsara Inc. (IOT) | -0.45 | -0.28 | +37.8% |
Cognyte Software Ltd.'s EPS grew from $-0.17 (2014) to $-0.17 (2025).
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Cognyte Software Ltd. generated $34M FCF in 2025 (-35% vs 2021). Samsara Inc. generated $111M FCF in 2025 (+155% vs 2021).
CGNT vs IOT: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is CGNT or IOT a better buy right now?
Analysts rate Samsara Inc. (IOT) a "Buy" — based on 17 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 — CGNT or IOT?
Over the past 5 years, Samsara Inc. (IOT) delivered a total return of +17.0%, compared to -77.0% for Cognyte Software Ltd. (CGNT). A $10,000 investment in IOT five years ago would be worth approximately $12K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: IOT returned +17.0% versus CGNT's -74.7%. 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 — CGNT or IOT?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Cognyte Software Ltd. (CGNT) is the lower-risk stock at 0.93β versus Samsara Inc.'s 1.49β — meaning IOT is approximately 61% more volatile than CGNT relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Samsara Inc. (IOT) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 8% versus 16% for Cognyte Software Ltd. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — CGNT or IOT?
Cognyte Software Ltd. (CGNT) is the more profitable company, earning -3.4% net margin versus -12.4% for Samsara Inc. — meaning it keeps -3.4% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: CGNT leads at -1.5% versus -15.2% for IOT. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — IOT leads at 76.1%, 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 CGNT or IOT more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, Cognyte Software Ltd. (CGNT) trades at 29.6x forward P/E versus 57.0x for Samsara Inc. — 27.4x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for CGNT: 97.5% to $14.00.
06Which pays a better dividend — CGNT or IOT?
None of the stocks in this comparison currently pay a material dividend. All are effectively zero-yield and should be held for capital appreciation rather than income.
07Is CGNT or IOT better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Cognyte Software Ltd. (CGNT) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.93)). Both have compounded well over 10 years (CGNT: -74.7%, IOT: +17.0%), 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 CGNT and IOT?
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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