Can AppLovin Outrun Workday in the Next Rally?
Workday fell -12% during the past Week. You may be tempted to buy more, or may want to reduce your exposure. But there is an entirely different perspective you might be missing. Is there a better alternative? Turns out, its peer AppLovin gives you more. AppLovin (APP) stock offers superior revenue growth across key periods, better profitability, and relatively lower valuation vs Workday (WDAY) stock, suggesting you may be better off investing in APP
- APP’s quarterly revenue growth was 68.2%, vs. WDAY’s 12.6%.
- In addition, its Last 12 Months revenue growth came in at 86.4%, ahead of WDAY’s 13.2%.
- APP leads on profitability over both periods – LTM margin of 52.5% and 3-year average of 35.7%.
These differences become even clearer when you look at the financials side by side. The table highlights how WDAY’s fundamentals stack up against those of APP on growth, margins, momentum, and valuation multiples.
Valuation & Performance Overview
| WDAY | APP | Preferred | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valuation | |||
| P/EBIT Ratio | 56.1 | 55.0 | APP |
| Revenue Growth | |||
| Last Quarter | 12.6% | 68.2% | APP |
| Last 12 Months | 13.2% | 86.4% | APP |
| Last 3 Year Average | 15.8% | 36.0% | APP |
| Operating Margins | |||
| Last 12 Months | 9.4% | 52.5% | APP |
| Last 3 Year Average | 5.1% | 35.7% | APP |
| Momentum | |||
| Last 3 Year Return | 5.5% | 5069.3% | WDAY |
Note: For “Last 3 Year Return” metric, preferred stock is one with higher returns unless the returns are too high (>300%) which creates risk of sell off.
See more revenue details: WDAY Revenue Comparison | APP Revenue Comparison
See more margin details: WDAY Operating Income Comparison | APP Operating Income Comparison
- How To Earn 8.1% Yield While Waiting to Buy ADBE 30% Cheaper
- Should You Buy IBM Stock After Yesterday’s Drop?
- Oracle Stock: Is the Panic Overdone?
- How Deep Can The Correction Go For D-Wave Quantum Stock?
- 3 Key Risks That Could Drag Down NVIDIA Stock
- Cash Machine Trading Cheap – Fiserv Stock Set to Run?
See detailed fundamentals on Buy or Sell APP Stock and Buy or Sell WDAY Stock. Below we compare market return and related metrics across years.
Historical Market Performance
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | Total [1] | Avg | Best | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Returns | |||||||||
| WDAY Return | 14% | -39% | 65% | -7% | -17% | -13% | -22% | ||
| APP Return | 45% | -89% | 278% | 713% | 108% | -16% | 772% | <=== | |
| S&P 500 Return | 27% | -19% | 24% | 23% | 16% | 1% | 85% | ||
| Monthly Win Rates [3] | |||||||||
| WDAY Win Rate | 42% | 42% | 75% | 58% | 50% | 0% | 44% | ||
| APP Win Rate | 67% | 8% | 83% | 83% | 58% | 0% | 50% | ||
| S&P 500 Win Rate | 75% | 42% | 67% | 75% | 67% | 100% | 71% | <=== | |
| Max Drawdowns [4] | |||||||||
| WDAY Max Drawdown | -8% | -51% | -4% | -25% | -18% | -13% | -20% | ||
| APP Max Drawdown | -24% | -90% | -8% | -4% | -32% | -16% | -29% | ||
| S&P 500 Max Drawdown | -1% | -25% | -1% | -2% | -15% | 0% | -7% | <=== | |
[1] Cumulative total returns since the beginning of 2021
[2] 2026 data is for the year up to 1/20/2026 (YTD)
[3] Win Rate = % of calendar months in which monthly returns were positive
[4] Max drawdown represents maximum peak-to-trough decline within a year
No matter how good the numbers, stock investment is never a smooth ride. There is a risk you must factor in. Read APP Dip Buyer Analyses and WDAY Dip Buyer Analyses to see how these stocks have fallen and recovered in the past.
Still not sure about WDAY or APP? Consider portfolio approach.
The Best Investors Think In Portfolios
Single stocks swing wildly but staying invested matters. A well built portfolio keeps you invested, captures upside and softens the blows from individual stocks
The Trefis High Quality (HQ) Portfolio, with a collection of 30 stocks, has a track record of comfortably outperforming its benchmark that includes all 3 – the S&P 500, S&P mid-cap, and Russell 2000 indices. Why is that? As a group, HQ Portfolio stocks provided better returns with less risk versus the benchmark index; less of a roller-coaster ride, as evident in HQ Portfolio performance metrics.