Appian (APPN)
Market Price (12/4/2025): $39.13 | Market Cap: $2.9 BilSector: Information Technology | Industry: Systems Software
Appian (APPN)
Market Price (12/4/2025): $39.13Market Cap: $2.9 BilSector: Information TechnologyIndustry: Systems Software
Investment Highlights
Why It Matters
Which of these 2 stories sounds closer for this stock?
1. Generates cash flow
The stock generated 4% or more of the share price (called cash flow yield), and shows moderate 10-15% or more growth.
2. Riding a trend
Think Tesla during the pandemic of 2020 when EVs were riding a cultural high, or Nvidia in the current AI boom, or even Figma. These companies don’t have enough yield, or, enough growth, or both - however - they are riding a trend. They have momentum. These can be more volatile - they don’t have the floor of strong cash flow
| Attractive cash flow generationCFO/Rev LTMCash Flow from Operations / Revenue (Sales), Last Twelve Months (LTM) is 11%, FCF/Rev LTMFree Cash Flow / Revenue (Sales), Last Twelve Months (LTM) is 11% | Weak multi-year price returns2Y Excs Rtn is -42%, 3Y Excs Rtn is -68% | Expensive valuation multiplesP/EBITPrice/EBIT or Price/(Operating Income) ratio is 123x |
| Megatrend and thematic driversMegatrends include Automation & Robotics, Cloud Computing, and Artificial Intelligence. Themes include Process / Warehouse Automation, Show more. | Yield minus risk free rate is negativeERPEquity Risk Premium (ERP) = Total Yield - Risk Free Rate, Reflects the premium above risk free assets offered by the investment. is -4.5% |
| Attractive cash flow generationCFO/Rev LTMCash Flow from Operations / Revenue (Sales), Last Twelve Months (LTM) is 11%, FCF/Rev LTMFree Cash Flow / Revenue (Sales), Last Twelve Months (LTM) is 11% |
| Megatrend and thematic driversMegatrends include Automation & Robotics, Cloud Computing, and Artificial Intelligence. Themes include Process / Warehouse Automation, Show more. |
| Weak multi-year price returns2Y Excs Rtn is -42%, 3Y Excs Rtn is -68% |
| Expensive valuation multiplesP/EBITPrice/EBIT or Price/(Operating Income) ratio is 123x |
| Yield minus risk free rate is negativeERPEquity Risk Premium (ERP) = Total Yield - Risk Free Rate, Reflects the premium above risk free assets offered by the investment. is -4.5% |
Valuation, Metrics & Events
APPN Stock
Why The Stock Moved
Qualitative Assessment
AI Generated Analysis | Feedback
The public company Appian (symbol: APPN) experienced a significant upward movement of approximately 28% in its stock price between August 31, 2025, and December 4, 2025, driven by several key factors:
1. Exceptional Third Quarter 2025 Financial Performance: Appian reported robust financial results for the third quarter of 2025, significantly exceeding analyst expectations on both revenue and earnings per share. The company announced total revenue of $187.0 million, surpassing the consensus estimate of approximately $177.6 million. Furthermore, Appian posted non-GAAP earnings per share (EPS) of $0.32, considerably higher than the estimated $0.05 per share. This strong performance led to an immediate and substantial positive market reaction, with the stock jumping over 7% in pre-market trading and closing with a 30.79% gain on November 6, 2025, the day the results were announced.
2. Increased Full-Year 2025 Guidance: Following the impressive Q3 results, Appian raised its full-year 2025 financial guidance across key metrics. The company increased its outlook for cloud subscription revenue, total revenue, and adjusted EBITDA. Specifically, cloud subscription revenue is projected to be between $435 million and $437 million, indicating 18% to 19% year-over-year growth, and total revenue is forecasted between $711 million and $715 million. This revised, optimistic guidance signaled management's confidence in Appian's continued growth trajectory and improved profitability.
Stock Movement Drivers
Return vs. Risk
Price Returns Compared
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Total [1] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Returns | |||||||
| APPN Return | 324% | -60% | -50% | 16% | -12% | 24% | 7% |
| Peers Return | 44% | 14% | -30% | 55% | 54% | 6% | 190% |
| S&P 500 Return | 16% | 27% | -19% | 24% | 23% | 16% | 112% |
Monthly Win Rates [3] | |||||||
| APPN Win Rate | 58% | 25% | 25% | 58% | 58% | 40% | |
| Peers Win Rate | 68% | 52% | 28% | 62% | 67% | 52% | |
| S&P 500 Win Rate | 58% | 75% | 42% | 67% | 75% | 70% | |
Max Drawdowns [4] | |||||||
| APPN Max Drawdown | -18% | -60% | -51% | -4% | -29% | -22% | |
| Peers Max Drawdown | -22% | -12% | -42% | -4% | -8% | -25% | |
| S&P 500 Max Drawdown | -31% | -1% | -25% | -1% | -2% | -15% | |
[1] Cumulative total returns since the beginning of 2020
[2] Peers: ORCL, IBM, CRM, NOW, PEGA. See APPN Returns vs. Peers.
[3] Win Rate = % of calendar months in which monthly returns were positive
[4] Max drawdown represents maximum peak-to-trough decline within a year
[5] 2025 data is for the year up to 12/3/2025 (YTD)
How Low Can It Go
| Event | APPN | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 Inflation Shock | ||
| % Loss | -86.8% | -25.4% |
| % Gain to Breakeven | 655.9% | 34.1% |
| Time to Breakeven | Not Fully Recovered days | 464 days |
| 2020 Covid Pandemic | ||
| % Loss | -50.5% | -33.9% |
| % Gain to Breakeven | 101.8% | 51.3% |
| Time to Breakeven | 179 days | 148 days |
| 2018 Correction | ||
| % Loss | -46.6% | -19.8% |
| % Gain to Breakeven | 87.3% | 24.7% |
| Time to Breakeven | 288 days | 120 days |
Compare to ORCL, IBM, CRM, NOW, PEGA
In The Past
Appian's stock fell -86.8% during the 2022 Inflation Shock from a high on 1/27/2021. A -86.8% loss requires a 655.9% gain to breakeven.
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Asset Allocation
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Latest Trefis Analyses
| Title | |
|---|---|
| ARTICLES |
Trade Ideas
Select past ideas related to APPN. For more, see Trefis Trade Ideas.
| Date | Ticker | Company | Category | Trade Strategy | 6M Fwd Rtn | 12M Fwd Rtn | 12M Max DD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11302025 | ENPH | Enphase Energy | Dip Buy | DB | CFO/Rev | Low D/EDip Buy with High Cash Flow MarginsBuying dips for companies with significant cash flows from operations and reasonable debt / market cap | 0.9% | 0.9% | -0.9% |
| 11262025 | PD | PagerDuty | Dip Buy | DB | FCF Yield | Low D/EDip Buy with High Free Cash Flow YieldBuying dips for companies with significant free cash flow yield (FCF / Market Cap) and reasonable debt / market cap | 0.8% | 0.8% | 0.0% |
| 11212025 | CRM | Salesforce | Dip Buy | DB | FCFY OPMDip Buy with High FCF Yield and High MarginBuying dips for companies with high FCF yield and meaningfully high operating margin | 3.3% | 3.3% | -0.1% |
| 11212025 | HUBS | HubSpot | Dip Buy | DB | CFO/Rev | Low D/EDip Buy with High Cash Flow MarginsBuying dips for companies with significant cash flows from operations and reasonable debt / market cap | 5.1% | 5.1% | 0.0% |
| 11212025 | FIVN | Five9 | Dip Buy | DB | FCF Yield | Low D/EDip Buy with High Free Cash Flow YieldBuying dips for companies with significant free cash flow yield (FCF / Market Cap) and reasonable debt / market cap | 4.0% | 4.0% | 0.0% |
| Date | Ticker | Company | Category | Trade Strategy | 6M Fwd Rtn | 12M Fwd Rtn | 12M Max DD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11302025 | ENPH | Enphase Energy | Dip Buy | DB | CFO/Rev | Low D/EDip Buy with High Cash Flow MarginsBuying dips for companies with significant cash flows from operations and reasonable debt / market cap | 0.9% | 0.9% | -0.9% |
| 11262025 | PD | PagerDuty | Dip Buy | DB | FCF Yield | Low D/EDip Buy with High Free Cash Flow YieldBuying dips for companies with significant free cash flow yield (FCF / Market Cap) and reasonable debt / market cap | 0.8% | 0.8% | 0.0% |
| 11212025 | CRM | Salesforce | Dip Buy | DB | FCFY OPMDip Buy with High FCF Yield and High MarginBuying dips for companies with high FCF yield and meaningfully high operating margin | 3.3% | 3.3% | -0.1% |
| 11212025 | HUBS | HubSpot | Dip Buy | DB | CFO/Rev | Low D/EDip Buy with High Cash Flow MarginsBuying dips for companies with significant cash flows from operations and reasonable debt / market cap | 5.1% | 5.1% | 0.0% |
| 11212025 | FIVN | Five9 | Dip Buy | DB | FCF Yield | Low D/EDip Buy with High Free Cash Flow YieldBuying dips for companies with significant free cash flow yield (FCF / Market Cap) and reasonable debt / market cap | 4.0% | 4.0% | 0.0% |
Research & Analysis
Invest in Strategies
Wealth Management
Peer Comparisons for Appian
| Peers to compare with: |
Financials
| Median | |
|---|---|
| Name | |
| Mkt Price | 223.22 |
| Mkt Cap | 200.6 |
| Rev LTM | 26,084 |
| Op Inc LTM | 5,068 |
| FCF LTM | 2,168 |
| FCF 3Y Avg | 4,079 |
| CFO LTM | 9,005 |
| CFO 3Y Avg | 7,613 |
Growth & Margins
| Median | |
|---|---|
| Name | |
| Rev Chg LTM | 12.8% |
| Rev Chg 3Y Avg | 11.2% |
| Rev Chg Q | 14.7% |
| QoQ Delta Rev Chg LTM | 3.1% |
| Op Mgn LTM | 17.6% |
| Op Mgn 3Y Avg | 13.8% |
| QoQ Delta Op Mgn LTM | 0.6% |
| CFO/Rev LTM | 29.4% |
| CFO/Rev 3Y Avg | 26.0% |
| FCF/Rev LTM | 21.5% |
| FCF/Rev 3Y Avg | 18.9% |
Valuation
| Median | |
|---|---|
| Name | |
| Mkt Cap | 200.6 |
| P/S | 6.1 |
| P/EBIT | 32.6 |
| P/E | 37.2 |
| P/CFO | 25.4 |
| Total Yield | 2.9% |
| Dividend Yield | 0.3% |
| FCF Yield 3Y Avg | 3.2% |
| D/E | 0.1 |
| Net D/E | 0.0 |
Returns
| Median | |
|---|---|
| Name | |
| 1M Rtn | -8.8% |
| 3M Rtn | -2.6% |
| 6M Rtn | 11.7% |
| 12M Rtn | 8.4% |
| 3Y Rtn | 114.4% |
| 1M Excs Rtn | -8.7% |
| 3M Excs Rtn | -5.5% |
| 6M Excs Rtn | -3.0% |
| 12M Excs Rtn | -4.8% |
| 3Y Excs Rtn | 46.3% |
Comparison Analyses
Returns Analyses
SEC Filings
Expand for More| Report Date | Filing Date | Filing |
|---|---|---|
| 9302025 | 11062025 | 10-Q 9/30/2025 |
| 6302025 | 8072025 | 10-Q 6/30/2025 |
| 3312025 | 5082025 | 10-Q 3/31/2025 |
| 12312024 | 2192025 | 10-K 12/31/2024 |
| 9302024 | 11072024 | 10-Q 9/30/2024 |
| 6302024 | 8012024 | 10-Q 6/30/2024 |
| 3312024 | 5022024 | 10-Q 3/31/2024 |
| 12312023 | 2152024 | 10-K 12/31/2023 |
| 9302023 | 11022023 | 10-Q 9/30/2023 |
| 6302023 | 8032023 | 10-Q 6/30/2023 |
| 3312023 | 5092023 | 10-Q 3/31/2023 |
| 12312022 | 2162023 | 10-K 12/31/2022 |
| 9302022 | 11032022 | 10-Q 9/30/2022 |
| 6302022 | 8042022 | 10-Q 6/30/2022 |
| 3312022 | 5052022 | 10-Q 3/31/2022 |
| 12312021 | 2172022 | 10-K 12/31/2021 |
External Quote Links
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| MarketWatch | Unusual Whales |
| YCharts | Perplexity Finance |
| FinViz |