Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare HeartCore Enterprises, Inc. (HTCR) vs Shopify Inc. (SHOP) 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 | HTCR | 39.2% revenue growth vs SHOP's 30.1% |
| Quality / Margins | SHOP | 10.7% net margin vs HTCR's -73.2% |
| Stability / Safety | HTCR | Beta 1.30 vs SHOP's 2.23 |
| Dividends | HTCR | 14.8% yield; 1-year raise streak; SHOP pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | SHOP | +7.8% vs HTCR's -67.9% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | SHOP | 8.1% ROA vs HTCR's -81.0%, ROIC 9.4% vs 0.6% |
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
HeartCore Enterprises is a software company providing customer experience management and digital transformation solutions primarily to Japanese enterprises. It generates revenue through SaaS subscriptions for its CX platform — which includes marketing, sales, and service tools — along with data analytics services and digital transformation consulting. The company's competitive advantage lies in its integrated platform approach and deep understanding of the Japanese enterprise market's specific digital transformation needs.
Shopify is a comprehensive commerce platform that enables businesses of all sizes to create online stores, manage sales across multiple channels, and handle operations like payments, shipping, and inventory. It generates revenue primarily through subscription fees for its platform tiers — which account for about 30% of revenue — and merchant solutions like payment processing, shipping, and capital advances that make up the remaining 70%. The company's key advantage is its integrated ecosystem that combines easy-to-use store creation tools with a vast app marketplace and fulfillment network, creating high switching costs for merchants as they grow their businesses.
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
SHOP leads in 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). HTCR leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
SHOP is the larger business by revenue, generating $11.6B annually — 782.6x HTCR's $15M. SHOP is the more profitable business, keeping 10.7% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to HTCR's -73.2%. On growth, SHOP holds the edge at +30.6% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | HTCRHeartCore Enterpr… | SHOPShopify Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $15M | $11.6B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$11M | $1.5B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$11M | $1.2B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$4M | $2.0B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +36.3% | +48.1% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -74.5% | +12.7% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -73.2% | +10.7% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -28.8% | +17.4% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -83.2% | +30.6% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -96.2% | -42.0% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, HTCR's 9.7x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than SHOP's 104.1x.
| Metric | HTCRHeartCore Enterpr… | SHOPShopify Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $6M | $157.4B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $8M | $156.1B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -3.80x | 128.44x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 65.90x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 4.38x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 9.72x | 104.11x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.21x | 13.62x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 1.62x | 11.69x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | 78.44x |
Profitability & Efficiency
SHOP delivers a 9.1% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $9 in annual profit, vs $-3 for HTCR. SHOP carries lower financial leverage with a 0.01x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to HTCR's 1.09x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), SHOP scores 6/9 vs HTCR's 4/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | HTCRHeartCore Enterpr… | SHOPShopify Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -2.8% | +9.1% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -81.0% | +8.1% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +0.6% | +9.4% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +0.7% | +11.0% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 4 | 6 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 1.09x | 0.01x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $2M | -$1.4B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $2M | $1.5B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $4M | $188M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -119.73x | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in SHOP five years ago would be worth $9,216 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $886 for HTCR. Over the past 12 months, SHOP leads with a +7.8% total return vs HTCR's -67.9%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors SHOP at 43.2% vs HTCR's -25.7% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | HTCRHeartCore Enterpr… | SHOPShopify Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -14.7% | -23.2% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -67.9% | +7.8% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -59.0% | +193.5% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -91.1% | -7.8% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -91.1% | +5294.6% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -25.7% | +43.2% |
Risk & Volatility
HTCR is the less volatile stock with a 1.30 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than SHOP's 2.23 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. SHOP currently trades 66.3% from its 52-week high vs HTCR's 16.1% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | HTCRHeartCore Enterpr… | SHOPShopify Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.30x | 2.23x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $1.67 | $182.19 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $0.22 | $69.84 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +16.1% | +66.3% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 46.5 | 48.7 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 115K | 10.0M |
Analyst Outlook
HTCR is the only dividend payer here at 14.84% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | HTCRHeartCore Enterpr… | SHOPShopify Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | — | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | — | $165.16 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | — | 63 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +14.8% | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 1 | — |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $0.04 | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Feb 22 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| HeartCore Enterpris… (HTCR) | 100 | 5.15 | -94.8% |
| Shopify Inc. (SHOP) | 100 | 196.31 | +96.3% |
Shopify Inc. (SHOP) returned -8% over 5 years vs HeartCore Enterpris… (HTCR)'s -91%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| HeartCore Enterpris… (HTCR) | $7M | $30M | +321.8% |
| Shopify Inc. (SHOP) | $389M | $11.6B | +2868.2% |
Shopify Inc.'s revenue grew from $389M (2016) to $11.6B (2025) — a 45.8% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| HeartCore Enterpris… (HTCR) | -17.0% | -4.9% | +71.3% |
| Shopify Inc. (SHOP) | -9.1% | 10.7% | +217.3% |
Shopify Inc.'s net margin went from -9% (2016) to 11% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 4 Years
| Stock | 2020 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify Inc. (SHOP) | 435.4 | 171.2 | -60.7% |
Shopify Inc. has traded in a 61x–435x P/E range over 4 years; current trailing P/E is ~128x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| HeartCore Enterpris… (HTCR) | -0.07 | -0.07 | -8.6% |
| Shopify Inc. (SHOP) | -0.04 | 0.94 | +2332.8% |
Shopify Inc.'s EPS grew from $-0.04 (2016) to $0.94 (2025).
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
HeartCore Enterprises, Inc. generated $-5M FCF in 2024 (-755% vs 2021). Shopify Inc. generated $2B FCF in 2025 (+314% vs 2021).
HTCR vs SHOP: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is HTCR or SHOP a better buy right now?
Shopify Inc. (SHOP) offers the better valuation at 128.4x trailing P/E (65.9x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Shopify Inc. (SHOP) a "Buy" — based on 63 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 — HTCR or SHOP?
Over the past 5 years, Shopify Inc. (SHOP) delivered a total return of -7.8%, compared to -91.1% for HeartCore Enterprises, Inc. (HTCR). A $10,000 investment in SHOP five years ago would be worth approximately $9K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: SHOP returned +52.9% versus HTCR's -91.1%. 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 — HTCR or SHOP?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), HeartCore Enterprises, Inc. (HTCR) is the lower-risk stock at 1.30β versus Shopify Inc.'s 2.23β — meaning SHOP is approximately 72% more volatile than HTCR relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Shopify Inc. (SHOP) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 1% versus 109% for HeartCore Enterprises, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — HTCR or SHOP?
Shopify Inc. (SHOP) is the more profitable company, earning 10.7% net margin versus -4.9% for HeartCore Enterprises, Inc. — meaning it keeps 10.7% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: SHOP leads at 12.7% versus 0.2% for HTCR. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — HTCR leads at 58.6%, 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.
05Which pays a better dividend — HTCR or SHOP?
In this comparison, HTCR (14.8% yield) pays a dividend. SHOP does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
06Is HTCR or SHOP better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, HeartCore Enterprises, Inc. (HTCR) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 1.30), 14.8% yield). Shopify Inc. (SHOP) carries a higher beta of 2.23 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (HTCR: -91.1%, SHOP: +52.9%), 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.
07What are the main differences between HTCR and SHOP?
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: HTCR is a small-cap income-oriented stock; SHOP is a mid-cap quality compounder stock. HTCR pays a dividend while SHOP 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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