Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare UiPath Inc. (PATH) vs Palladyne AI Corp. (PDYN) 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 | PDYN | 26.7% revenue growth vs PATH's 9.3% |
| Quality / Margins | PATH | 14.8% net margin vs PDYN's -9.5% |
| Stability / Safety | PATH | Beta 1.34 vs PDYN's 1.94 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | PDYN | +10.2% vs PATH's -12.8% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | PATH | 7.9% ROA vs PDYN's -56.8%, ROIC -11.8% vs -84.7% |
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
UiPath is a leading provider of robotic process automation (RPA) software that helps businesses automate repetitive digital tasks. The company generates revenue primarily through software licenses and cloud subscriptions — with its platform segment contributing roughly 80% of revenue — along with maintenance and support services. Its key competitive advantage lies in its comprehensive, AI-powered automation platform that combines process discovery, low-code development, and enterprise-grade management tools, creating significant switching costs for large enterprise customers.
Palladyne AI Corp. is a software company that develops artificial intelligence systems to enhance the capabilities of third-party robotic platforms. It generates revenue primarily through software licensing and subscription services for its AI/ML technology that enables robots to learn and adapt in real-time across industrial and defense applications. The company's competitive advantage lies in its proprietary foundational AI technology that allows robots to generalize from experience without extensive programming or cloud processing latency.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Segment breakdown not available.
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
PATH leads in 4 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Valuation Metrics). PDYN leads in 1 (Total Returns).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
PATH is the larger business by revenue, generating $1.6B annually — 357.4x PDYN's $4M. PATH is the more profitable business, keeping 14.8% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to PDYN's -9.5%. On growth, PATH holds the edge at +15.9% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | PATHUiPath Inc. | PDYNPalladyne AI Corp. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $1.6B | $4M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $13M | -$29M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $230M | -$41M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $312M | -$25M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +83.2% | +57.6% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +0.6% | -6.8% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +14.8% | -9.5% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +20.1% | -5.7% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +15.9% | -1.3% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +19.5% | +66.7% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | PATHUiPath Inc. | PDYNPalladyne AI Corp. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $797M | $296M |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | -$5M | $275M |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -82.54x | -2.54x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 15.98x | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.56x | 37.95x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 3.26x | — |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 2.61x | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
PATH delivers a 11.9% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $12 in annual profit, vs $-80 for PDYN.
| Metric | PATHUiPath Inc. | PDYNPalladyne AI Corp. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +11.9% | -79.9% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +7.9% | -56.8% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -11.8% | -84.7% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -7.5% | -51.9% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 5 | 5 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.04x | — |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$801M | -$20M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $880M | $31M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $78M | $11M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | — | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in PATH five years ago would be worth $1,555 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $1,288 for PDYN. Over the past 12 months, PDYN leads with a +10.2% total return vs PATH's -12.8%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors PDYN at 23.0% vs PATH's -10.2% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | PATHUiPath Inc. | PDYNPalladyne AI Corp. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -32.4% | +48.9% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -12.8% | +10.2% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -27.7% | +86.0% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -84.4% | -87.1% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -84.4% | -87.1% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -10.2% | +23.0% |
Risk & Volatility
PATH is the less volatile stock with a 1.34 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than PDYN's 1.94 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500.
| Metric | PATHUiPath Inc. | PDYNPalladyne AI Corp. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.34x | 1.94x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $19.84 | $13.00 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $9.38 | $4.14 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +54.1% | +54.1% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 36.0 | 53.1 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 24.5M | 3.8M |
Analyst Outlook
| Metric | PATHUiPath Inc. | PDYNPalladyne AI Corp. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | — |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $16.30 | — |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 24 | — |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | — |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +49.0% | +0.0% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Oct 21 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| UiPath Inc. (PATH) | 100 | 24.04 | -76.0% |
| Palladyne AI Corp. (PDYN) | 80.66 | 12.49 | -84.5% |
UiPath Inc. (PATH) returned -84% over 5 years vs Palladyne AI Corp. (PDYN)'s -87%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2020 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| UiPath Inc. (PATH) | $336M | $1.4B | +325.3% |
| Palladyne AI Corp. (PDYN) | $9M | $8M | -11.7% |
UiPath Inc.'s revenue grew from $336M (2020) to $1.4B (2025) — a 33.6% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2020 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| UiPath Inc. (PATH) | -154.7% | -5.2% | +96.7% |
| Palladyne AI Corp. (PDYN) | -2.4% | -9.3% | -292.8% |
UiPath Inc.'s net margin went from -155% (2020) to -5% (2025).
Chart 4EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2020 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| UiPath Inc. (PATH) | -1 | -0.13 | +87.0% |
| Palladyne AI Corp. (PDYN) | -1.21 | -2.77 | -128.9% |
UiPath Inc.'s EPS grew from $-1.00 (2020) to $-0.13 (2025).
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
UiPath Inc. generated $306M FCF in 2025 (+1076% vs 2021). Palladyne AI Corp. generated $-23M FCF in 2024 (+51% vs 2021).
PATH vs PDYN: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is PATH or PDYN a better buy right now?
Analysts rate UiPath Inc. (PATH) a "Hold" — based on 24 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 — PATH or PDYN?
Over the past 5 years, UiPath Inc. (PATH) delivered a total return of -84.4%, compared to -87.1% for Palladyne AI Corp. (PDYN). A $10,000 investment in PATH five years ago would be worth approximately $2K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: PATH returned -84.4% versus PDYN's -87.1%. 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 — PATH or PDYN?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), UiPath Inc. (PATH) is the lower-risk stock at 1.34β versus Palladyne AI Corp.'s 1.94β — meaning PDYN is approximately 44% more volatile than PATH relative to the S&P 500.
04Which has better profit margins — PATH or PDYN?
UiPath Inc. (PATH) is the more profitable company, earning -5.2% net margin versus -932.7% for Palladyne AI Corp. — meaning it keeps -5.2% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: PATH leads at -11.4% versus -345.8% for PDYN. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — PATH leads at 82.7%, 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 — PATH or PDYN?
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.
06Is PATH or PDYN better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, UiPath Inc. (PATH) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding. Palladyne AI Corp. (PDYN) carries a higher beta of 1.94 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (PATH: -84.4%, PDYN: -87.1%), 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 PATH and PDYN?
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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