Understanding Adobe’s Position In Software Industry Compared To Competitors

by | Feb 11, 2026 | Markets

In today’s rapidly changing and highly competitive business world, it is vital for investors and industry enthusiasts to carefully assess companies. In this article, we will perform a comprehensive industry comparison, evaluating Adobe (NASDAQ:ADBE) against its key competitors in the Software industry. By analyzing important financial metrics, market position, and growth prospects, we aim to provide valuable insights for investors and shed light on company’s performance within the industry.

Adobe Background

Adobe provides content creation, document management, and digital marketing and advertising software and services to creative professionals and marketers for creating, managing, delivering, measuring, optimizing, and engaging with compelling content multiple operating systems, devices, and media. The company operates with three segments: digital media content creation, digital experience for marketing solutions, and publishing for legacy products (less than 5% of revenue).

Company P/E P/B P/S ROE EBITDA (in billions) Gross Profit (in billions) Revenue Growth
Adobe Inc 15.85 9.35 4.75 15.87% $2.51 $5.54 10.49%
Palantir Technologies Inc 221.44 45.01 79.96 8.71% $0.4 $0.97 19.11%
Salesforce Inc 25.83 3.02 4.63 3.44% $3.3 $8.0 8.63%
AppLovin Corp 55.77 108.44 25.76 63.27% $1.11 $1.23 68.23%
Intuit Inc 28.94 6.07 6.13 2.29% $0.83 $3.0 18.34%
Synopsys Inc 54.21 2.95 10.27 1.6% $1.16 $1.6 37.83%
Cadence Design Systems Inc 77.06 15.65 15.70 5.63% $0.48 $1.16 10.15%
Autodesk Inc 47.30 17.85 7.62 12.23% $0.53 $1.69 18.03%
Datadog Inc 418.29 12.18 13.75 1.02% $0.05 $0.71 28.35%
Workday Inc 64.65 4.54 4.48 2.79% $0.45 $1.84 12.59%
Roper Technologies Inc 24.57 1.87 4.78 2.15% $0.82 $1.4 2.04%
Zoom Communications Inc 18.48 3.03 6.14 6.72% $0.34 $0.96 4.44%
PTC Inc 23.96 5.04 6.86 4.34% $0.25 $0.57 21.36%
Trimble Inc 39.14 2.81 4.64 1.94% $0.2 $0.62 2.9%
Tyler Technologies Inc 50.14 4.31 6.88 2.33% $0.15 $0.28 9.67%
IREN Ltd 29.81 5.67 16.91 -5.77% $-0.23 $0.11 59.02%
Guidewire Software Inc 125.70 7.39 9.01 2.09% $0.03 $0.21 26.53%
Average 81.58 15.36 13.97 7.17% $0.62 $1.52 21.7%

By conducting an in-depth analysis of Adobe, we can identify the following trends:

  • The Price to Earnings ratio of 15.85 is 0.19x lower than the industry average, indicating potential undervaluation for the stock.

  • The current Price to Book ratio of 9.35, which is 0.61x the industry average, is substantially lower than the industry average, indicating potential undervaluation.

  • Based on its sales performance, the stock could be deemed undervalued with a Price to Sales ratio of 4.75, which is 0.34x the industry average.

  • The Return on Equity (ROE) of 15.87% is 8.7% above the industry average, highlighting efficient use of equity to generate profits.

  • The company has higher Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBITDA) of $2.51 Billion, which is 4.05x above the industry average, indicating stronger profitability and robust cash flow generation.

  • The gross profit of $5.54 Billion is 3.64x above that of its industry, highlighting stronger profitability and higher earnings from its core operations.

  • The company is witnessing a substantial decline in revenue growth, with a rate of 10.49% compared to the industry average of 21.7%, which indicates a challenging sales environment.

Debt To Equity Ratio

debt to equity

The debt-to-equity (D/E) ratio is a measure that indicates the level of debt a company has taken on relative to the value of its assets net of liabilities.

Considering the debt-to-equity ratio in industry comparisons allows for a concise evaluation of a company’s financial health and risk profile, aiding in informed decision-making.

When evaluating Adobe alongside its top 4 peers in terms of the Debt-to-Equity ratio, the following insights arise:

  • Among its top 4 peers, Adobe is placed in the middle with a moderate debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57.

  • This implies a balanced financial structure, with a reasonable proportion of debt and equity.

Key Takeaways

For Adobe in the Software industry, the PE, PB, and PS ratios are low compared to peers, indicating potential undervaluation. On the other hand, Adobe’s high ROE, EBITDA, and gross profit suggest strong profitability and operational efficiency. However, the low revenue growth may raise concerns about future performance relative to industry peers.

This article was generated by Benzinga’s automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

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