Paycom Software Inc's Competitiveness
A competitive positioning analysis and financial ratio benchmarking of Paycom Software Inc (PAYC) against its publicly traded competitors: sales growth, net income, profitability, valuation and market share, plus each peer's market capitalization, revenue, income and employees. Free below: the top 5 peers. Subscriber access adds the full competitor list and CSV downloads.
Key Findings: Paycom Software Inc vs Its Competitors
- TTM: Trailing 12-month revenue of 2,141M vs 461,081M combined for its competitors (0.5% combined share).
- Trending: Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is holding steady (-0.7% annualized vs trailing 12 months), vs accelerating (+2.3%) for its tracked peer group.
- Growth: Paycom Software Inc generated 9.8% revenue growth year over year in Q2 2026, vs 15.5% for its competitors combined.
- Profitability: Its 20.2% net margin compares with 34.0% for the peer group.
- Scale: Paycom Software Inc ranks #43 of 255 companies by market capitalization in the Software & Programming industry, holding 0.2% of industry market cap.
- Peer revenue share: Paycom Software Inc accounted for 0.5% of combined revenue among its tracked peer group, down from 0.5% a year earlier.
- Peer differentiation: Revenue per employee of $0.37M compares with $0.98M for the peer group (0.4x).
Every figure above is sourced and cited in detail further down this page (Market Structure, Profitability & Cost Structure, Productivity vs Peers).
PAYC Sales vs. its Competitors, Q2 2026
Paycom Software Inc reported revenue growth of 9.84 % year on year in Q2 2026, below its competitors' combined revenue growth of 15.50 %.
With a net margin of 20.22 %, Paycom Software Inc reported lower profitability than its competitors (34.02 %).
Paycom Software Inc generated 0.45 % of the combined sales of its peer group, down from 0.47 % a year earlier.
Paycom Software Inc vs. its Competitors, Q2 2026
Revenue growth, year on year
Net income growth, year on year
Net margin
Revenue run-rate vs trailing 12 months
TTM net margin
TTM = trailing twelve months. Run-rate annualizes the latest quarter (×4) and compares it to TTM. In millions of $. High-Confidence Competitors are named as a competitor directly in Paycom Software Inc reports; Similar-Size Competitors are the closest peers by market-cap rank within the same industry; Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors are the closest peers by combined revenue growth, operating margin and ROIC, all independent of the competitor list.
TTM revenue, latest-quarter run-rate and net income/margin benchmarked across Paycom Software Inc and its 4 competitor groupings. Available under Commercial License.
| Entity | TTM Revenue | Rev Run-rate vs TTM |
|---|---|---|
| Paycom Software Inc | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Competitors combined | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| High-Confidence Competitors (9) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar-Size Competitors (10) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar Growth & Profitability (4) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
TTM revenue, run-rate and net margin benchmarking across Paycom Software Inc's competitor groups requires a Commercial License.
For context: the Software & Programming industry grew revenue 16.7% year over year, combined, vs 9.8% for Paycom Software Inc. Paycom Software Inc's share of combined industry revenue moved from 0.17% to 0.16%, a loss of 0.01 percentage points.
Paycom Software Inc's Competitor Quality Breadth
Group definitions: see Methodology: Performance Group Definitions.
| Entity | Profitable | Expanding | Above Industry Growth | Distressed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paycom Software Inc | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Competitors combined (24) | ||||
| High-Confidence Competitors (12) | ||||
| Similar-Size Competitors (10) | ||||
| Similar Growth & Profitability (8) | 100.00 % (8 of 8) | 100.00 % (8 of 8) | 62.50 % (5 of 8) | 0.00 % (0 of 8) |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Altman Z-Score is not shown here: it is not populated in the underlying data for any company. Percentages are of companies in each group that report the relevant metric, not of the full group size.
PAYC Stock Performance relative to its Competitors
PAYC Stock Performance relative to High-Confidence Competitors
PAYC Stock Performance relative to Similar-Size Competitors
PAYC Stock Performance relative to Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors
5 Best-Performing Tracked Competitors, Trailing 12 Months
| # | Competitor | TTM Share Price Return | vs U.S.A. 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Everi Holdings Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 2 | Robert Half Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 3 | Aci Worldwide Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 4 | Employers Holdings Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 5 | Paycor Hcm Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
TTM share price return and U.S.A. 500 outperformance for Paycom Software Inc's best-performing competitors requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months.
Paycom Software Inc's Comment on Competition and Industry Peers
We compete with firms that provide HCM solutions by various means. Many providers continue to deliver legacy enterprise software, but as demand for greater flexibility and access to information grows, we believe there will be increased competition in the delivery of HCM cloud-based solutions by other SaaS providers. Our competitors offer HCM solutions that may overlap with one, several or all categories of applications offered by our solution. Our talent acquisition and talent management applications compete primarily with Cornerstone OnDemand, Inc., Oracle Corporation, SAP SE and Workday, Inc. Our payroll applications, including payroll processing, compete primarily with Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (“ADP”), Ceridian HCM, Inc. (“Ceridian”), Concur Technologies, Inc., Intuit Inc., Paychex, Inc., Paylocity Holding Corporation and The Ultimate Software Group, Inc. Our HR management applications compete primarily with ADP, Ceridian, Oracle Corporation, Paychex, Inc., Paylocity Holding Corporation, SAP SE and Workday, Inc. Our time and labor management applications compete primarily with ADP, Ceridian, Kronos Incorporated, Paylocity Holding Corporation and The Ultimate Software Group, Inc. Our larger competitors compete with us across multiple segments. In addition, our HCM solution continues to face competition from in-house payroll and HR systems and departments as well as HR systems and software sold by third-party vendors.
Competition in the HCM solutions market is primarily based on service responsiveness, product quality and reputation, breadth of service, application offering and price. The importance of these factors depends on the size of the business. Price tends to be the most important factor of competition for smaller businesses with fewer employees, while the scope of features and customization is more important to larger businesses. Regardless of a company’s size, another important factor is the implementation experience, as all organizations are seeking a streamlined and simplified process.
Publicly Traded Peers of Paycom Software Inc
Revenue and income for trailing 12 months, in millions of $, except employees| Company | Market Cap | Revenues |
|---|---|---|
 Paycom Software Inc |
11,477.17 | 2,140.70 |
 Microsoft Corporation |
3,990,534.78 | 346,445.00 |
 Automatic Data Processing Inc |
122,118.86 | 22,262.90 |
 Intuit Inc |
98,290.68 | 21,448.00 |
 Adobe Inc |
97,467.02 | 25,970.00 |
 Paychex Inc |
42,613.70 | 6,602.50 |
| SUBTOTAL | 4,458,121.71 | 466,565.16 |
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Sources: see Methodology: Peer & Competitor Identification, Sourcing.
Updated on:
Focus of this report: publicly traded companies. Ten additional tables on Paycom Software Inc versus competitors, including market share analysis, are in the navigation menu under Competition. To download the tables, please subscribe.
Paycom Software Inc's Competitors Named by the Company
Competitive relationships identified from Paycom Software Inc reports and corroborating sources, each with a basis and confidence.| Competitor | Basis | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Paylocity Holding Corporation | Company report | 85% |
| Paycor HCM, Inc. | Company report | 85% |
| Asure Software Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Ceridian HCM Holding, Inc. | Company report | 85% |
| Oracle Corporation | Company report | 85% |
| ServiceNow, Inc. | Company report | 85% |
| Insperity, Inc. | Company report | 85% |
| Paychex, Inc. | Company report | 85% |
| Ultimate Kronos Group | Company report | 85% |
| Automatic Data Processing, Inc. | Company report | 85% |
| Intuit, Inc. | Company report | 85% |
| SAP SE | Company report | 85% |
| Cornerstone OnDemand, Inc. | Company report | 85% |
| Workday, Inc. | Company report | 85% |
| Ceridian HCM, Inc. | Company report | 85% |
| Dayforce Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Benefitfocus Inc | Company report | 85% |
Company report basis, confidence, active dates and source counts for Paycom Software Inc's named competitors require a Commercial License.
Methodology: see Methodology: Peer & Competitor Identification, Sourcing.
Paycom Software Inc's Business Segment Mix vs Peers
Revenue by operating segment or division, as named and reported by each company. Segment names are the filer's own and are not standardized across companies. Do not assume a same-named or similarly-named segment is defined identically between two companies. Shares are of each company's own total revenue and are not required to sum to 100% (intersegment revenue, unallocated items).| Company | Largest Segment |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Corporation | Agents and Infra 83.22 % |
| Automatic Data Processing Inc | Employer Services 67.12 % |
| Intuit Inc | Consumer 61.61 % |
| Adobe Inc | Reportable 100.00 % |
| Equifax Inc | Workforce Solutions 41.00 % |
Source: operating segment revenue as reported in each company's reports (10-K/10-Q), via the CSIMarket API, leaf-level reportable segments only (parent roll-up segments are excluded where sub-segments are separately disclosed).
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Paycom Software Inc's Productivity vs Peers Comparison
Revenue and income per employee, trailing 12 months, in $; market cap in millions of $| Company | Market Cap | Revenue / Employee | Income / Employee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paycom Software Inc | 11,477 | 371,005 | 84,506 |
| Microsoft Corporation | 3,990,535 | 1,553,565 | 639,601 |
| Automatic Data Processing Inc | 122,119 | 383,843 | 78,029 |
| Intuit Inc | 98,291 | 1,153,118 | 245,484 |
| Adobe Inc | 97,467 | 828,125 | 232,270 |
| Paychex Inc | 42,614 | 375,142 | 102,614 |
| PEERS TOTAL | 4,446,645 | 980,473 | 345,940 |
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Paycom Software Inc's Geographic Revenue Exposure vs Peers
Revenue by country/region as reported in each company's most recent report. Disclosure granularity varies by filer (some report by country, others by broad region) and is shown as disclosed.| Company | Largest Market |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Corporation | US 53.60 % |
| Adobe Inc | Americas 58.69 % |
| Commvault Systems Inc | Americas 62.14 % |
| Aci Worldwide Inc | United States 64.29 % |
| Paymentus Holdings Inc | US 98.52 % |
Source: revenue geography as reported in each company's reports (10-K/10-Q), via the CSIMarket API. Percentages are of that company's own total consolidated revenue for its most recent reported period.
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Paycom Software Inc's Position in Industry Market Structure
Market-capitalization share and concentration across all 229 companies in Paycom Software Inc's industry classification, broader than the peer set above. Market cap in millions of $.Paycom Software Inc ranks #43 of 229 companies by market capitalization in its industry, holding 0.15 % of total industry market cap. The industry's Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) is 2,887, indicating a highly concentrated market structure (see Methodology: Market Structure & Concentration).
| Rank | Company | Market Cap | Industry Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Microsoft Corporation | 3,994,286 | 52.72 % |
| 2 | Palantir Technologies Inc | 398,122 | 5.25 % |
| 3 | Oracle Corporation | 335,576 | 4.43 % |
| 4 | Sap Se | 320,485 | 4.23 % |
| 5 | Crowdstrike Holdings Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 6 | Full Truck Alliance Co Ltd | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 7 | Shopify Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 8 | Salesforce Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 9 | Servicenow Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 10 | Adobe Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 43 | Paycom Software Inc | 11,477 | 0.15 % |
Market cap and industry share for the rest of Paycom Software Inc's industry peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation) across CSIMarket's industry classification, market capitalization as of 2026-11-05.
Paycom Software Inc's Same-Size Peers & Stock Performance
Peers chosen by closeness in market-cap rank within the same industry classification (not the named-competitor list above). Trailing 12-month total return, 3-month price momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio vs the broad U.S. market.| Rank | Company | Market Cap | TTM Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 38 | Manhattan Associates Inc | 15,054 | 46.46 % |
| 39 | Bentley Systems Incorporated | 14,334 | -3.94 % |
| 40 | Guidewire Software Inc | 14,293 | -23.21 % |
| 41 | Dynatrace Inc | 12,837 | -9.82 % |
| 42 | Procore Technologies Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 43 | Paycom Software Inc | 11,477 | 41.33 % |
| 44 | Sailpoint Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 45 | Hubspot Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 46 | Paylocity Holding Corporation | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 47 | Jfrog Ltd | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 48 | Elastic N v | 1,234 | 12.3% |
Market cap, return, momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio for the rest of Paycom Software Inc's same-size peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation); returns and risk metrics as of 2026-11-05. Beta and Sharpe ratio are versus the broad U.S. equity market, not this industry.
Paycom Software Inc's Profitability & Cost Structure
Trailing 12-month margins from SEC-filed financials. Operating margin is compared to the Software & Programming industry median; gross margin, EBITDA margin and capital intensity are compared to the live industry average (442 companies). See the full Software & Programming industry profitability benchmarks.| Metric | Company | Industry | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | 83.66 % | 50.50 % (avg) | +33.2 pp |
| Operating Margin | 30.29 % | industry median | +30.3 pp |
| EBITDA Margin | 43.71 % | 1.87 % (avg) | +41.8 pp |
| Capital Intensity (Capex / Revenue) | 10.79 % | 5.22 % (avg) | +5.6 pp |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. SG&A and R&D as a share of revenue have limited coverage as this data is backfilled and appear only where reported. Higher capital intensity is not inherently negative; it reflects the industry's asset requirements.
Paycom Software Inc's Valuation vs Competitive Position
Valuation multiples vs the Software & Programming industry average (442 companies, excluding loss-making/negative-equity outliers), alongside returns on capital for context on whether a premium or discount lines up with measurably stronger or weaker returns. See the full Software & Programming industry valuation benchmarks.| Metric | Company | Industry Average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| P/E | 13.9x | 40.4x | -26.5x |
| EV / EBITDA | 6.5x | 20.3x | -13.7x |
| P/B | 5.0x | 5.5x | -0.5x |
| Return on Equity | 40.43 % | industry aggregate | 15.26 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | 19.35 % | -3.23 % (avg) | 22.58 % |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. A valuation premium or discount is not, by itself, a judgment of over- or under-valuation. Compare it against the return and growth context shown elsewhere on this page.
Paycom Software Inc's Multi-Year Financial Trajectory
Fiscal-year revenue growth, operating margin, return on invested capital and P/E, as reported in company reports.| Metric | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth | 30.78 % | 30.25 % | 14.07 % | 25.44 % | 30.29 % | 23.16 % | 11.19 % | 8.95 % |
| Operating Margin | 30.67 % | 30.67 % | 22.12 % | 24.02 % | 27.54 % | 26.65 % | 33.68 % | 27.65 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | 21.06 % | 20.35 % | 12.75 % | 13.20 % | 15.36 % | 14.61 % | 18.95 % | 14.29 % |
| P/E | 54.5x | 86.6x | 168.2x | 123.5x | 65.2x | 35.9x | 22.9x | 22.0x |
Source: CSIMarket API, fiscal-year figures. P/E is this company's own historical ratio at each fiscal year end and can swing sharply around an earnings trough: that is real, not a data error.
Paycom Software Inc's Strategic Group Map
Paycom Software Inc is shown in red; its closest peers by combined growth, margin and ROIC are labeled. See Methodology: Strategic Group Map for how this chart is built.
Paycom Software Inc's trailing-12-month revenue growth of 9.2% and operating margin of 30.3% compares with an average of 13.0% growth and 26.4% margin across its 8 closest peers by combined growth, margin and ROIC -- Paycom Software Inc sits below that peer average on growth and above it on margin.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Extreme outlier values (from near-zero-revenue companies) are excluded from the plotted cloud but never from the highlighted company or its labeled peers.
Paycom Software Inc's BCG Growth-Share Matrix
See Methodology: BCG Growth-Share Matrix for how relative share and growth are calculated and thresholded.
Paycom Software Inc falls in the Question Mark quadrant: relative market share of 0.00x vs its largest competitor, in an industry growing revenue 11.3% (median, trailing 12 months).
Source: CSIMarket API (market-cap share and industry revenue growth). The 10% growth and 1.0x share lines are standard textbook thresholds, not derived from this industry's own distribution. A caveat worth reading alongside this chart: Microsoft Corporation alone holds 53% of this industry's market cap. In an industry this dominated by one leader, the framework will place nearly every OTHER company in "Dog" or "Question Mark" purely because relative share is measured against that leader, regardless of how strong those other companies actually are on their own fundamentals. Check the Profitability, Valuation and Financial Strength sections above before treating this quadrant label as a verdict.
Paycom Software Inc's Competitive Forces (Porter's Five Forces)
Only the forces this data can support honestly are shown; the other three are marked as such rather than guessed.| Force | Assessment | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Competitive Rivalry | Low | Industry HHI of 2,887 (see Industry Market Structure & Concentration above) |
| Barriers to Entry | High (capital intensive) | Capital intensity (capex / revenue) of 10.79 % vs industry average 5.22 % (see Profitability & Cost Structure above) |
Note: see Methodology: Porter's Five Forces. Supplier power and buyer power are covered on Paycom Software Inc's dedicated Suppliers and Customers pages, not here.
Paycom Software Inc's Industry Attractiveness & Competitive Strength
See Methodology: GE/McKinsey Matrix for how the two axes are built.
Paycom Software Inc falls in the Medium attractiveness / Medium strength cell: Selective.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Each axis score is a simple 1(low)/2(medium)/3(high) average across its three inputs -- a transparent, disclosed simplification, not a validated academic scoring model.
Paycom Software Inc's SWOT
Every point below is a fixed rule applied to a metric already shown elsewhere on this page (Market Structure, Profitability, Valuation, Run-Rate, Stock Performance, Quality Breadth) not an independent strategic assessment. A blank quadrant means no rule was met, not that none apply.Strengths
- Operating margin 30.3 points above the industry median.
- Return on equity 15.3 points above the industry aggregate.
- Outperforming the U.S.A. 500 over the trailing 12 months.
Weaknesses
- Low relative market share vs the industry leader (0.00x).
Opportunities
- Industry revenue growing at a healthy 11.3% median pace.
- Trades at a lower P/E than the industry average (13.9x vs 40.4x) despite a higher return on invested capital -- a possible re-rating opportunity.
Threats
- Industry dominated by Microsoft Corporation, holding 52.72 % of industry market cap.
- High capital intensity requires continuous reinvestment just to keep pace with the industry.
Methodology: see Methodology: SWOT Analysis.
Paycom Software Inc's Financial Strength vs Peers Comparison
Quick ratio, working capital, debt to equity and asset turnover, trailing 12 months| Company | Quick Ratio | Working Capital | Debt / Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paycom Software Inc | 0.08 | 1.10 | 0.33 |
| Microsoft Corporation | 0.16 | 1.27 | 0.10 |
| Automatic Data Processing Inc | 0.07 | 1.04 | 0.96 |
| Intuit Inc | 0.39 | 1.43 | 0.35 |
| Adobe Inc | 0.46 | 0.85 | 0.55 |
| Paychex Inc | 0.18 | 1.27 | 1.22 |
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Quick ratio = cash / current liabilities; working capital ratio = current assets / current liabilities; asset turnover = revenue / total assets. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Paycom Software Inc's Revenue and Income Growth vs Peers
Quarterly revenue and net income growth, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Revenue Y/Y | Income Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paycom Software Inc | Q2 2026 | +9.8 % | +20.0 % |
| Microsoft Corporation | Q3 2026 | +18.8 % | +32.0 % |
| Automatic Data Processing Inc | Q3 2026 | +6.1 % | +11.1 % |
| Intuit Inc | Q2 2026 | +13.7 % | -4.7 % |
| Adobe Inc | Q3 2026 | +12.9 % | +3.1 % |
| Paychex Inc | Q3 2026 | +5.9 % | +12.0 % |
| PEERS TOTAL | +16.1 % | +27.7 % |
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Growth is shown only where both periods are positive. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Paycom Software Inc's Peers' Costs of Sales and Capital Expenditures
Context for revenue growth: peer costs and capex, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Costs Y/Y | Capex Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paycom Software Inc | Q2 2026 | +1.8 % | -61.6 % |
| Microsoft Corporation | Q3 2026 | +23.6 % | +103.0 % |
| Automatic Data Processing Inc | Q3 2026 | +2,304.9 % | +20.6 % |
| Intuit Inc | Q2 2026 | -2.3 % | +192.0 % |
| Adobe Inc | Q3 2026 | +18.8 % | +18.1 % |
| Paychex Inc | Q3 2026 | +3.9 % | -11.1 % |
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Paycom Software Inc's Returns and Turnover vs Peers
ROA, ROI and ROE (trailing 12 months), receivables and inventory turnover| Company | ROA | ROI | ROE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paycom Software Inc | 8.92% | 22.73% | 40.43% |
| Microsoft Corporation | 20.01% | 23.87% | 34.15% |
| Automatic Data Processing Inc | 7.40% | 34.49% | 76.51% |
| Intuit Inc | 12.49% | 16.28% | 23.22% |
| Adobe Inc | 24.46% | 39.34% | 62.88% |
| Paychex Inc | 10.96% | 19.01% | 46.36% |
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ROA = net income / total assets; ROI = net income / investments; ROE = net income / equity; turnover ratios use trailing 12 month revenue (receivables) and cost of sales (inventory).
Paycom Software Inc's Valuation vs Peers
P/E, price to sales, PEG, price to cash flow and price to book| Company | P/E | Price / Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Paycom Software Inc | 26.68 | 5.36 |
| Microsoft Corporation | 27.99 | 11.52 |
| Automatic Data Processing Inc | 27.28 | 5.49 |
| Intuit Inc | 21.54 | 4.58 |
| Adobe Inc | 13.83 | 3.75 |
| Paychex Inc | 23.71 | 6.45 |
| PEERS AVERAGE | 27.13 | 9.56 |
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P/E = price / diluted EPS (trailing 12 months); PEG = P/E divided by EPS growth; the average row divides the peers' combined market cap by their combined income, sales, cash flow and equity.