NOW vs ORCL Stock Comparison
NOW currently leads ORCL in this stock comparison, with AIQ scores of 57 vs 51. The clearest difference is momentum, while ORCL has the stronger value profile.
What is the main difference between NOW and ORCL?
NOW leads the current stock comparison as ServiceNow, Inc., with the clearest separation coming from momentum and the broader AIQ evidence mix.
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
ServiceNow, Inc. vs Oracle Corporation
NOW leads
NOW leads by 6 AIQ points, primarily on Momentum and Risk Resilience, and the lead has widened from 2 points over 30 sessions. Wall Street currently favors ORCL on target upside.
Fragile: 3 of 6 evidence groups support NOW, its lead is widening, and its current signal state is conflicted.
ServiceNow, Inc.
Oracle Corporation
The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors NOW over ORCL, 57 versus 51 as of Oct 21, 2026. NOW's advantage is driven primarily by stronger momentum and risk resilience, while ORCL holds the stronger value profile. NOW also shows the stronger technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average, though analyst target upside currently favors ORCL. 3 of 6 covered evidence groups favor NOW today, and the comparison is rated Fragile on stability: only 3 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. NOW lead: Strengthening — the AIQ differential moved from 2 to 6 points over 30 sessions.
Compare ServiceNow, Inc. and Oracle Corporation across the Algovestiq AIQ Score, valuation, quality, momentum, risk, technicals and analyst expectations.
Performance over time
Total return with distributions reinvested, from daily closes.
Total return comparison
Growth of $10,000, distributions reinvested
Split-adjusted closes; each distribution is reinvested at the close on its ex-dividend date. Taxes and trading costs are not modeled.
Compare NOW and ORCL against another ticker
Open a multi-ticker workspace without changing this focused pair page.
AIQ Factor Divergence
Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.
- Momentum81 vs 34NOW +47
- Value37 vs 61ORCL +24
- Risk Resilience46 vs 23NOW +23
- Quality64 vs 70ORCL +6
3 of 6 evidence groups favor NOW. NOW’s edge is concentrated in momentum and risk resilience; ORCL keeps a meaningful value edge.
What changed since the last close
Latest scored session 2026-10-20, compared against the prior scored session 2026-10-19.
Largest factor move: Momentum +1, not enough on its own to move the overall score.
New signals
- BB Upper Band Breach — bearish, volatility, short horizon
Largest factor move: Momentum +2, not enough on its own to move the overall score.
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 4 active signals are unchanged.
NOW's lead was unchanged in the latest session.
Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — NOW and ORCL both carry a full feed there.
The central trade-off
NOW (ServiceNow, Inc.): the stronger current systematic profile, led by momentum and risk resilience.
ORCL (Oracle Corporation): the counter-case, on value, quality, fundamentals — but at materially higher volatility, 56.7% against 40.7%.
The AIQ Score and Wall Street therefore point in different directions on this pair.
Which one fits your objective
The same two names rank differently depending on what you are optimizing for. All six reads are shown at once — none of them is hidden behind a toggle.
Balanced
NOWNOW on the overall AIQ Score, which weights Quality and Value most heavily.
Growth
ORCLORCL on combined revenue and EPS growth.
Value
ORCLORCL on the peer-relative Value factor, by 24 points.
Momentum
NOWNOW on the Momentum factor, by 47 points.
Lower downside
NOWNOW on Risk Resilience, by 23 points.
Analyst upside
ORCLORCL on implied upside to the consensus price target.
AIQ vs Wall Street
The model and the Street disagree here: AIQ favors NOW, analyst targets favor ORCL. That disagreement is the most useful thing on this page.
| Measure | NOW | ORCL | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implied upside to target | +4.3% | +88.8% | ORCL has more room |
| Target dispersion | +86.4% | +94.3% | Lower is tighter analyst agreement |
| Consensus | Buy | Buy | Context, not a primary driver |
| Analysts covering | 20 | 21 | Higher coverage generally improves confidence |
The two are measuring different things. The AIQ Score reads current fundamentals, valuation, trend and risk; analyst targets price forward expectations. A divergence of this kind is either a contrarian opportunity or a sign the model is missing something already priced in — it is worth resolving before acting on either.
Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions. Dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
3 of 6 covered evidence groups favor NOW. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.
| Evidence group | Favors | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| AIQ Score | NOW | 57 vs 51 |
| Fundamentals | ORCLon balance | revenue growth 5.8% vs 11.6%; EPS growth -35.6% vs 14.8%; TTM ROE 13.8% vs 50.6%; gross margin 74.8% vs 65.8%; operating margin 11.4% vs 30.8% — ORCL takes 4 of 5 decided legs, not all of them |
| Valuation | ORCL | Value 37 vs 61 |
| Technicals | NOW | Price vs 50-day 12.8% vs -10.6%; vs 200-day 28.8% vs -17.8% |
| Risk Resilience | NOW | Risk Resilience 46 vs 23 |
| Analyst expectations | ORCL | Target upside 4.3% vs 88.8% |
✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of NOW and ORCL and are excluded from the count.
AIQ Decision Stability
The conclusion is sensitive to small changes. Treat the lead as provisional and watch the flip conditions below.
- The AIQ gap is moderate at 6 points.
- Only 3 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- The leader's advantage has been widening. (supports the conclusion holding)
- The leader is throwing conflicting signals. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- Analyst targets on the leader are widely dispersed. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
Stability combines the score gap, how broadly the evidence agrees, how steady the lead has been across daily snapshots, the current signal state on both names, and analyst dispersion on NOW.
How the comparison changed
120 daily snapshots · Jun 21 – Oct 20NOW lead: Strengthening — the AIQ differential moved from 2 to 6 points over 30 sessions.
- Today
- NOW +6
- 57 vs 51
- 7 sessions ago
- NOW +5
- 57 vs 52
- 30 sessions ago
- NOW +2
- 50 vs 48
- 90 sessions ago
- ORCL +7
- 53 vs 60
The lead changed hands 10 times in this window, most recently on Oct 2 when ORCL moved ahead of NOW.
AIQ Signal Divergence
Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.
4 bullish / 1 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted
Only NOW
- Golden Cross Active — bullish, trend, long horizon (18.00%)
- BB Upper Band Breach — bearish, volatility, short horizon
- EMA Ribbon Expansion Bullish — bullish, trend, medium horizon
- Uptrend Structure Active — bullish, trend, long horizon
- MACD Bullish Crossover — bullish, momentum, short horizon
0 bullish / 3 bearish / 1 neutral
Only ORCL
- Death Cross Active — bearish, trend, long horizon (10.51%)
- Downtrend Structure Active — bearish, trend, long horizon
- MACD Bearish Crossover — bearish, momentum, short horizon
Both carry 1 more signal that do not separate them: ATR Expansion - Breakout Mode.
NOW leads the comparison while carrying a conflicted signal state, which is one reason the stability rating is not higher.
Price vs model alignment
Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.
Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price +2.39%, AIQ 0 points).
Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price -1.53%, AIQ 0 points).
What would flip this result
A state, not a forecast. These are the specific, observable changes that would reverse the verdict — not a price prediction.
- 1ORCL closes the Momentum gap — currently 47 points behind, the largest single contributor to NOW's edge.
- 2ORCL's Death Cross Active resolves — a bearish trend rule currently active against it.
- 3NOW's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 4 bullish and 1 bearish rules at once.
- 4A regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
The full evidence
Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.
Fundamentals
ORCL leads on balance| Metric | NOW | ORCL |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth (YoY) | 5.8% | 11.6% |
| EPS growth (YoY) | -35.6% | 14.8% |
| Gross margin | 74.8% | 65.8% |
| Operating margin | 11.4% | 30.8% |
| Return on equity (TTM) | 13.8% | 50.6% |
| Debt to equity | 0.68 | 3.67 |
Performance
NOW leads 6 of 6 windows| Metric | NOW | ORCL |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (5 sessions) | 7.9% | -8.4% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | 9.2% | -12.1% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | 49.1% | 4.2% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | 49.3% | -27.6% |
| Year to date | -2.4% | -32.7% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | -16.4% | -57.7% |
Technicals
NOW has the stronger structure| Metric | NOW | ORCL |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 69.3 | 44.7 |
| ADX (14) | 24.7 | 11.3 |
| Price vs 50-day | 12.8% | -10.6% |
| Price vs 200-day | 28.8% | -17.8% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 40.7% | 56.7% |
Risk
NOW is the more resilient| Metric | NOW | ORCL |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | 0.63 | 2.2 |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.1 | -1.18 |
| Sortino ratio | -0.15 | -2.08 |
| Max drawdown | -55.9% | -60.5% |
| Current drawdown | -20.6% | -55% |
| Annualized volatility | 58% | 57.2% |
| Value at risk (95%) | -5.8% | -5.7% |
Straight answers
Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.
Which is better, NOW or ORCL?
On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, NOW is the stronger of the two as of Oct 21, 2026, scoring 57 against ORCL's 51. The edge comes from momentum and risk resilience. ORCL is not without a case — it holds the better value profile, which matters more if that is the objective you are optimizing for. This is a systematic score, not a recommendation: it ranks the two on the same evidence, it does not know your holding period or tax position.
Is NOW or ORCL the better buy right now?
NOW carries the stronger systematic profile as of Oct 21, 2026, and the comparison is rated Fragile — 3 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. A Fragile rating means the conclusion is sensitive: only 3 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. Treat the lead as provisional.
Why does the AIQ Score favor NOW over ORCL?
The composite weights Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience. NOW leads Momentum by 47 points; ORCL leads Value by 24 points; NOW leads Risk Resilience by 23 points. Where the two split, the factor with the larger weight carries the result.
Which has more analyst upside, NOW or ORCL?
Analyst price targets imply +4.3% upside for NOW and +88.8% for ORCL, so the Street currently favors ORCL. That points the opposite way to the AIQ Score, which favors NOW. The two are measuring different things: the model reads current fundamentals, valuation, trend and risk; the Street is pricing forward expectations. A divergence of this kind is either a contrarian opportunity or a sign the model is missing something the analysts have already priced — it is the single most useful row on this page to investigate. Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions, and dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
Which is better value, NOW or ORCL?
ORCL is the better-valued of the two on the peer-relative Value factor. ORCL on the peer-relative Value factor, by 24 points. The Value factor reads valuation relative to sector peers and to the company's own fundamental quality, so it is not the same as simply having the lower multiple.
Which has stronger growth, NOW or ORCL?
ORCL on combined revenue and EPS growth. Growth here is measured on reported revenue and earnings, not on forward estimates — it describes what the businesses have delivered, not what the Street expects next.
Which has stronger momentum, NOW or ORCL?
NOW on the Momentum factor, by 47 points. Momentum is one of the four weighted factors in the AIQ composite. It has documented persistence over three- to twelve-month horizons, which makes it a timing input rather than a reason to hold something indefinitely.
Which is riskier, NOW or ORCL?
NOW is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. NOW on Risk Resilience, by 23 points. Risk Resilience is a weighted factor in the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.
Is NOW more profitable than ORCL?
The profitability evidence is mixed: gross margin 74.8% vs 65.8%; operating margin 11.4% vs 30.8%; ttm roe 13.8% vs 50.6%. NOW leads on one measure and ORCL on two measures, and there is no single profitability composite that resolves the split — which of the two reads as "more profitable" depends on whether you weight pricing power or operating leverage.
Is NOW's lead over ORCL getting stronger or weaker?
NOW lead: Strengthening — the AIQ differential moved from 2 to 6 points over 30 sessions. This is measured from 120 daily comparison snapshots between 2026-06-21 and 2026-10-20. The lead has changed hands 10 times in that window, most recently on 2026-10-02, when ORCL moved ahead of NOW.
What would change the NOW vs ORCL verdict?
The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: ORCL closes the Momentum gap — currently 47 points behind, the largest single contributor to NOW's edge; ORCL's Death Cross Active resolves — a bearish trend rule currently active against it; NOW's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 4 bullish and 1 bearish rules at once; a regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
What do the current signals say about NOW and ORCL?
NOW: 4 bullish / 1 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted. ORCL: 0 bullish / 3 bearish / 1 neutral. A conflicted state means bullish and bearish rules are active on the same name at once — the technical evidence is not pointing one way, and a decision taken on it carries more timing risk. The most decision-relevant rule on NOW is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon). On ORCL it is Death Cross Active (bearish, long horizon).
Compare NOW and ORCL with others
Continue your research
This page answers which of the two. These answer the questions on either side of it.
How this comparison is scored
The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk, each carrying a fixed weight. Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.
The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.
How to use side-by-side comparison →This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.