First Data's Competitiveness
A competitive positioning analysis and financial ratio benchmarking of First Data (FDC) 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: First Data vs Its Competitors
- TTM: Trailing 12-month revenue of 9,569M vs 13,344M combined for tracked competitors (41.8% combined share).
- Trending: Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is accelerating (+26.4% annualized vs trailing 12 months), vs decelerating (-46.7%) for its tracked peer group.
- Growth: First Data generated 3.3% revenue growth year over year in Q2 2017, vs -1.4% for its tracked competitors combined.
- Profitability: Its 8.0% net margin compares with 30.5% for the peer group.
- Peer revenue share: First Data accounted for 63.0% of combined revenue among its tracked peer group, up from 61.9% a year earlier.
Every figure above is sourced and cited in detail further down this page (Market Structure, Profitability & Cost Structure, Productivity vs Peers).
FDC Sales vs. its Competitors, Q2 2017
First Data reported revenue growth of 3.31 % year on year in Q2 2017, above its competitors' combined revenue change of -1.35 %.
With a net margin of 8.03 %, First Data reported lower profitability than its competitors (30.54 %).
First Data generated 62.96 % of the combined sales of its peer group, up from 61.88 % a year earlier.
First Data vs. its Competitors, Q2 2017
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 an SEC filing; 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 First Data and its 4 competitor groupings. Available under Commercial License.
| Entity | TTM Revenue | Rev Run-rate vs TTM |
|---|---|---|
| First Data Corp | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Competitors combined | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| High-Confidence Competitors (3) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar Growth & Profitability (8) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
TTM revenue, run-rate and net margin benchmarking across First Data's competitor groups requires a Commercial License.
For context: the Professional Services industry grew revenue 6.8% year over year, combined, vs 3.3% for First Data. First Data's share of combined industry revenue moved from 0.55% to 0.53%, a loss of 0.02 percentage points.
First Data's Competitor Quality Breadth
Share of each group, trailing 12 months: profitable (net margin > 0), expanding (revenue growth > 0), growing faster than the industry's own median, and financially distressed (Piotroski F-Score of 2 or below).
| Entity | Profitable | Expanding | Above Industry Growth | Distressed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Data Corp | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Competitors combined (3) | ||||
| High-Confidence Competitors (3) | ||||
| Similar Growth & Profitability (8) | 100.00 % (8 of 8) | 0.00 % (0 of 8) | 0.00 % (0 of 8) | 12.50 % (1 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.
FDC Stock Performance relative to its Competitors
FDC Stock Performance relative to High-Confidence Competitors
FDC 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 | Cuentas Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 2 | Discover Financial Services | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 3 | Informatica Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
TTM share price return and U.S.A. 500 outperformance for First Data's best-performing tracked competitors requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months.
Publicly Traded Peers of First Data Corp
Revenue and income for trailing 12 months, in millions of $, except employees| Company | Market Cap | Revenues |
|---|---|---|
| First Data Corp | 30,770.99 | 9,569.00 |
| Discover Financial Services | 50,412.60 | 13,343.00 |
| Informatica Inc | 7,796.83 | 1,679.48 |
| Cuentas Inc | 4.25 | 0.71 |
| SUBTOTAL | 88,984.66 | 24,592.19 |
Sources: First Data Corp's official press releases and regulatory filings; CSIMarket.com's market research; and the financial filings and press releases of the other companies cited.
Updated on:
Focus of this report: publicly traded companies. Ten additional tables on First Data Corp versus competitors, including market share analysis, are in the navigation menu under Competition. To download the tables, please subscribe.
First Data's Competitors Named by the Company
Competitive relationships identified from SEC filings and corroborating sources, each with a basis and confidence.| Competitor | Basis | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Cuentas Inc | Named by the company | 85% |
| Nelnet Inc | Named by the company | 85% |
| Corpay Inc | Named by the company | 85% |
| Informatica Inc | Named by the company | 85% |
| Discover Financial Services | Named by the company | 85% |
Filing basis, confidence, active dates and source counts for First Data's named competitors require a Commercial License.
Methodology: relationships are extracted from SEC filings (named-competitor disclosures) and corroborating sources. Named by the company = explicitly disclosed as a competitor; Inferred = derived from corroborating signals. Confidence reflects evidence strength.
First Data'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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Data Corp | 30,771 | - | - |
| Discover Financial Services | 50,413 | 632,370 | 222,844 |
| Informatica Inc | 7,797 | 335,896 | 20,858 |
| Cuentas Inc | 4 | 142,400 | -452,200 |
| PEERS TOTAL | 58,214 | 575,491 | 184,027 |
First Data's Geographic Revenue Exposure vs Peers
Revenue by country/region as reported in each company's most recent filing. Disclosure granularity varies by filer (some report by country, others by broad region) and is shown as disclosed.| Company | Largest Market |
|---|---|
| Informatica Inc | North America 65.69 % |
Source: revenue geography as reported in each company's SEC filings (10-K/10-Q), via the CSIMarket API. Percentages are of that company's own total consolidated revenue for its most recent reported period.
First Data's Profitability & Cost Structure
Trailing 12-month margins from SEC-filed financials. Operating margin is compared to the Professional Services industry median; gross margin, EBITDA margin and capital intensity are compared to the live industry average (230 companies).| Metric | Company | Industry | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | 68.76 % | 47.17 % (avg) | +21.6 pp |
| Operating Margin | 20.91 % | industry median | +16.3 pp |
| EBITDA Margin | 17.93 % | 5.74 % (avg) | +12.2 pp |
| Capital Intensity (Capex / Revenue) | 7.29 % | 4.25 % (avg) | +3.0 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.
First Data's Valuation vs Competitive Position
Valuation multiples vs the Professional Services industry average (230 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.| Metric | Company | Industry Average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| P/E | 25.8x | 25.6x | +0.2x |
| EV / EBITDA | 25.0x | 15.4x | +9.7x |
| P/B | 3.7x | 3.7x | 0.0x |
| Return on Equity | 17.07 % | industry aggregate | -5.46 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | 6.37 % | 5.25 % (avg) | 1.12 % |
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.
First Data's Multi-Year Financial Trajectory
Fiscal-year revenue growth, operating margin, return on invested capital and P/E, as reported in SEC filings.| Metric | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth | 7.95 % | 1.98 % | 2.68 % | 1.16 % | 4.04 % | -21.19 % |
| Operating Margin | 10.29 % | 12.91 % | 10.22 % | 13.83 % | 14.22 % | 19.95 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | 6.45 % | 4.72 % | 4.37 % | 5.80 % | 5.89 % | 6.06 % |
| P/E | - | - | - | 32.8x | 10.9x | 17.7x |
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.
First Data's Strategic Group Map
Every company in First Data's industry and named-competitor list, plotted by trailing 12-month revenue growth and operating margin. First Data is shown in red; its closest peers by combined growth, margin and ROIC (the Similar Growth & Profitability group above) are labeled.
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.
First Data'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 |
|---|---|---|
| Barriers to Entry | High (capital intensive) | Capital intensity (capex / revenue) of 7.29 % vs industry average 4.25 % (see Profitability & Cost Structure above) |
| Supplier Power | Not covered on this page | See First Data's dedicated suppliers page for concentration and dependency data |
| Buyer Power | Not covered on this page | See First Data's dedicated customers page for concentration and dependency data |
| Threat of Substitutes | - | No systematic data source for cross-product substitution exists in this system; not estimated |
Note: this is a partial, data-grounded application of the framework, not a complete strategic assessment. Rivalry and barriers-to-entry readings are mechanical translations of the HHI and capital-intensity figures shown elsewhere on this page, not independent judgments.
First Data's Industry Attractiveness & Competitive Strength
A CSIMarket composite, not a standard field: each axis is an equal-weighted average of three factors already shown elsewhere on this page (industry growth, industry profitability and rivalry for attractiveness; relative market share, profitability and growth vs industry for strength). Disclosed as a designed methodology, not a precision measurement.
First Data falls in the Low attractiveness / Medium strength cell: Harvest.
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.
First Data'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 16.3 points above the industry median.
- Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is accelerating (+26.4% annualized vs trailing 12 months).
Weaknesses
- Return on equity 5.5 points below the industry aggregate.
- Piotroski F-Score of 2 or below, the standard financial-distress signal.
Opportunities
- A meaningful share of tracked competitors (33.30 %) show financial-distress signals, a possible opening to gain share.
Threats
- Tracked peer group's revenue run-rate is broadly decelerating (-46.7% annualized).
- High capital intensity requires continuous reinvestment just to keep pace with the industry.
Methodology: mechanical, rule-based SWOT. Each bullet reuses a figure already sourced and cited elsewhere on this page; nothing here is generated narrative or independent analyst judgment.
First Data'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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Data Corp | 0.03 | 1.01 | 2.45 |
| Discover Financial Services | 0.13 | 1.36 | 0.04 |
| Informatica Inc | 1.09 | 1.97 | 0.77 |
| Cuentas Inc | 0.01 | 0.13 | - |
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.
First Data'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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Data Corp | Q2 2017 | +1.5 % | -16.9 % |
| Discover Financial Services | Q1 2025 | +12.9 % | +25.6 % |
| Informatica Inc | Q3 2025 | +3.9 % | +3,633.4 % |
| Cuentas Inc | Q2 2026 | - | - |
| PEERS TOTAL | +7.2 % | +16.0 % |
Growth is shown only where both periods are positive. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
First Data'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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Data Corp | Q2 2017 | +0.8 % | +44.4 % |
| Discover Financial Services | Q1 2025 | -16.9 % | -9.9 % |
| Informatica Inc | Q3 2025 | -1.2 % | +131.0 % |
| Cuentas Inc | Q2 2026 | - | - |
First Data's Returns and Turnover vs Peers
ROA, ROI and ROE (trailing 12 months), receivables and inventory turnover| Company | ROA | ROI | ROE |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Data Corp | 2.60% | 4.99% | 17.07% |
| Discover Financial Services | 3.14% | 3.18% | 26.87% |
| Informatica Inc | 1.99% | 2.45% | 4.43% |
| Cuentas Inc | - | - | - |
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).
First Data's Valuation vs Peers
P/E, price to sales, PEG, price to cash flow and price to book| Company | P/E | Price / Sales |
|---|---|---|
| First Data Corp | 30.47 | 3.22 |
| Discover Financial Services | 10.69 | 3.78 |
| Informatica Inc | 838.64 | 4.64 |
| Cuentas Inc | - | 5.96 |
| PEERS AVERAGE | 14.79 | 3.62 |
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.